Dead Machines
by PearlTapioca
Summary: Underworld story about a conflict between personal vendettas, and IS Academy through the eyes of an IS pilot/Triad gangster named Liu King-Sang.
1. Bright Side of the Clouds

**I do not own anything by IS: Infinite Stratos. All rights belong to Izuru Yumizuru, the original creator of the light novels of Infinite Stratos, the studio 8-Bit for the creation of the anime series, and Kenji Akahoshi for the creation of the manga series.** **This will be a slightly darker version of Infinite Stratos, but there will still be humors and the funny interactions with Ichika and the harem. Takes place after the Silver Gospel Incident. Be warned, expect violence, inappropriate language, and some adult themes.**

There is a man and a woman standing next to each other. They are out in the world to make an honest living. Ask yourself this question: who is a good person, and the other a bad seed? If you said both of them, or one is bad, there is no one right answer. What is good, bad and what's evil? The world may be pampered in cookies and cream on the outside, but on the inside, the worst of the scum underworld reside there. Criminals come in different sizes and have various objectives to make a name for themselves. Paradise is a great place not to come, the playground is open to grab the hands of illegal tradings, settle scores, cut each other's throats for easy money, and get killed over small or big reasons. Cesspool of corruption, the underworld has ripped people from the inside out for three reasons: money, power, respect. People were warned not to take a step, they should turn around and wish not to remember it. A misguided soul has gotten too close, and he or she will lose their former shell because it's a crippling disease with no cure. The paradise begins with the word 'Infinite Stratos'.

* * *

 **Opening song: $uicideboy$ - Chariot of Fire**

 **Unknown Location**

The 32-year old detective walked into the interrogation room with a single light bulb that lit the dark environment. Sitting at the rusted table in the room was an elderly nun. She took her time to sit while the detective pulled out a folder and set it on the table. His cold somber brown eyes give away his humorless personality. "Detective Hung. Witness, do you know this individual?"

Detective Hung revealed a picture of a teenager in an IS unit as the nun squinted her eyes. "His name is Liu King-Sang, a Chinese IS pilot just like the dear boy Ichika Orimura."

The nun acknowledged the question as Detective Hung continued to question her. "Why did that terror lead him to spill violence and destruction throughout the city?"

Detective Hung revealed another picture of dead bodies in a dock littered with broken IS units. "He is affiliated with Righteousness Union, one of China's biggest Triad. Liu is not a human being with that weapon onto him."

The nun kept her poker face, observing the pictures that connect Liu and the destruction he wasted at the dock. "Yes, vengeance consumed his poor soul where he will not stop until his scores are settled."

Seeing the nun gave her response, Detective Hung questioned her again. "This doesn't make sense at all. IS units can only be operated by women, not men. How was he able to operate it?"

The nun cracked a small smile. "Now you mentioned it, Liu and another boy named Three Dragons Tsao didn't know what an IS is. One day, they fought over a powerful exoskeleton, yet they don't really know only women can operate an IS. Isn't it funny?"

The nun chuckled as she rest her hands on the stomach. However, Detective Hung was not here for jokes, and slammed his hands on the table when she didn't answer the question clearly.

"Witness, this is not a comedy show, answer the question!"

Startled by his outburst, she shed a tear on her left eye, wiping it away with a tissue.

"Righteousness Union had no clue what that thing is, and attempt to sell it to a woman," the nun quivered. "This was their biggest mistake, and she didn't take it kindly."

"Tell me more about this woman." He calmed down when she stayed on topic related.

"Turns out she was the most wanted person in the world, Tabane Shinonono, the self proclaimed genius." said the nun. "She created IS, and when they talk about the price, she incapacitated them, warning not to sell an IS ever again."

Righteousness Union were clearly ignorant of IS, they thought it was a computer chip worth selling millions of dollars. Detective Hung revealed a paper written with rules related to IS. "The Alaska Treaty clearly quoted IS can't be sold, and used for armed conflict."

The nun took a breather to not make the detective mad again. "After Righteousness Union failed too many times to sell the IS, they abandoned it. Liu and Three Dragons were still curious to know more about it, and fought over the ownership."

The nun grew somber, ready to reveal the truth. "Sadly, it grew out of control to the point they will die over it, the results; Liu's men hidden the IS, but someone reverse engineer it, and Three Dragons came empty handed."

While she closed her eyes to not remember the horrific incident, Detective Hung grew more desperate to get more information.

"Liu is bent on settling his scores with extreme violence to get his messages against foes that are after him. He must be stopped right away!"

"He was blessed to have this opportunity," said the nun, crossing her hands on the chest. "You should thank the IS that saved his life because if it weren't for the gift, Liu would have died." Detective Hung became unsettled with her answers that sounded like she wished Liu a good luck to slaughter people.

"Detective, can you kindly escort me back home? I'm not used to walking alone with scary people all over."

The nun shivered from the cold temperature that didn't appear to have a heater. The light bulb didn't help to make the room warmer.

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that, I have more questions to ask you."

Before Detective Hung could question her once again, the "nun" broke her facade and laughed because beneath her face was a male teenager whom he imitated the elderly voice. The fake nun straightened the posture like a healthy human being to reveal his manly voice.

"Like I do that for you old fuck! Do you ever shut up for once? You ask too many questions that made my ears bleed." He pointed his Smith & Wesson Model 36 revolver, aimed at Detective Hung.

"You're no nun..." he pointed his Norinco Type 77 pistol at the impostor. "Unmask yourself now!"

"No can do, detective," said the teenager. "Clean your ears out thoroughly, and listen carefully. My name is Three Dragons, my job is to reclaim what's mine. Should you try to stop me, I'll cut your sorry life."

Hung's eyes widened in shock Three Dragons played him like a fool. Hung fired, but he missed, and Three Dragons shot Hung in the neck, stumbling him backwards. The .38 Special sliced his jugular vein open, blood oozed uncontrollably as Hung struggled to cover the bullet wound with his left hand. Hung tried to retrieve his gun, but Three Dragons stomped his hand.

"D-don't tell me..." Hung coughed blood, struggling to talk. "you're a Righteousness Union..."

Three Dragons crept a sadistic grin, and shot his forehead, instantly killed. "Finally figured it out, Detective Hung."

Hung slumped to the wall with blood smeared all over from the back of his head. Three Dragons casually took the folder and Hung's gun as he left the room, and the light bulb flickered out.

* * *

 **2 Months Ago - Guangzhou, China**

A dazzling glow cleansed away the darkness that covered the buildings. A perfect day to wake up to a sunrise, but not everything appears to be crime-free zone. Beneath the metropolitan city is filled with greed, violence, contraband, and those against the traditional society is where the home of outlaws reside. Inside a dark alley where no one would pass through, a teenager was tossed around like a rag doll. Every time he tried to stand up, the assailant swung his sledgehammer at his face.

"Hello, Liu, remember me?" Three Dragons jeered as his face and upper body were concealed by the shadow.

"Fuck. You." said Liu. Three Dragons struck Liu's face again.

"Fat cunt." Three Dragons whipped Liu's left kneecap. The sound of sledgehammer against kneecap was like a block of cement being cracked.

"AAAHHH!" Liu yelled from the unbearable pain he suffered as Three Dragons relentlessly used his sledgehammer to beat him up to no end.

Three Dragons put the sledgehammer to his ear. "Ohh save your energy, Mr. Liu, you stole something dear to me. I'm looking for an IS called the Sockdolager, you have it in your possessions, am I right?"

Liu veered away from him as his voice weakened. "You can go fuck yourself."

Unimpressed of his insult, Three Dragons smacked Liu in the rib cage, hand, and chest with brute force.

"I'm giving you an opportunity to correct your error. I want Sockdolager back, and should you not comply, you won't live to see another day."

Three Dragons smacked Liu in the temple one last time before he walked away, leaving him mangled. Thrown off balance from the brutal wallop, Liu tried to get up, but his legs were badly injured. Unable to stand up properly, Liu army crawled, coughing excessively for 10 minutes until he found an abandoned warehouse. Liu's consciousness was slowly dropping, and he need something to regain energy. Liu was on the verge of dying, desperately to recuperate until he found a 3rd generation IS, the Sockdolager.

Liu touched the machine, and a radiate white light shined, blinding the warehouse. Once the light subsided, Liu was encased in the IS. The Sockdolager was midnight purple with a hint of pitch black, and multi-thrusters. A complex eye-like helmet and ram's horns-shaped rested on his head. The IS exoskeleton rejuvenated his health, however, this was temporarily because Liu still felt some injuries. This was Liu's first time operating an IS, and had no idea where to start.

"Holy...what is this?!"

Liu self examined the high tech weapon all over his body. When Liu jumped like Superman, he was 23 feet above the ground. Lost of words from the gift of superhuman strength, Liu jumped all over the place to get familiar with his new toy. If it had weapons, Liu knew which foes he want to ice them immediately. Outside, Three Dragon Tsao's mobsters guarded a lounge room, and Liu decided to return the favor.

Liu's subconscious read his mind, and his Equalizer activated that materialized Rattler, a .45 cal machine pistol. Liu didn't call it out, but after examining his weapon, he gave a test run, starting with his hated enemy's posses. Liu walked towards Three Dragons' hideout where the men were relaxing and without warning, he sprayed the room. Few were caught by gunfire as some flee to alert the others. Those that got shot dashed to safety, clutching their bullet wounds while the others strike back. Small firearms put a dent on Liu as he answered with barrage of gunfire to make them scramble. Liu should have pay close attention that Three Dragons' group also had IS pilots.

Three IS female pilots received the message, ordering their men to retreat, materializing red Rafale Revive Basics. They activated Bash. 61 assault rifles to open fire as Liu stood on his ground, shooting them back. Rapid images of the IS squared off, clashing corner to corner in a zigzag fashion. The hostile IS units put up a good fight that manage to injure Liu. They flew in different directions, firing recklessly at each other like trigger happy gangsters. The IS bullets landed direct hits on Liu, dangerously depleting his energy shields. Sockdolager has adequate armor, but Liu's reckless tactics made it very fragile to withstand against repeated attacks.

Liu charged like a loose cannon, firing his Rattler at the opposing IS. They took some hits, but still standing, and scored a few hits. However, that didn't stop Liu from slowing down. At long last, Liu's marks hit one IS as she retreat, firing backwards before she succumbed to her wounds. The IS roundhouse kick Liu, falling down the ground. An interface popped up 2 _5%_ , but Liu didn't know what it meant, ignoring the warning sign. He thought it was regenerating health, but it was energy shield dangerously depleting.

Liu got back up, only to see another IS lunged towards him with her knife at high speed. By sheer luck, Liu parried the stab, but the blade managed to damage his energy shield down to 8%. Liu felt the pain again, firing the IS rapid succession until she stopped in her tracks. The IS protected her from losing a life, but did not prevent the energy shield to run out, and ended up with major injuries. Liu pushed her aside to confront the final IS. Suddenly Sockdolager dissipated because Liu collapsed from the energy he used up. The IS prepared to execute him, but she ran out of weapons power, and had no choice to fall back. Fading in and out of consciousness of broken IS units scattered all over, Liu hallucinated a vision of Three Dragons. On the horizon, a young teenage girl with light brown hair tied in twintails with a yellow ribbon at both sides ran towards him.

"Hey? Hey! Hang in there...fuck!" The petite teenager saw Liu in bad shape, and fireman carried the severely injured Liu. She ran as fast as she could before cops quarantined the scene.

"Uunngghh ..."

"Keep your eyes open, don't you die out on me!"

"I-I-Is..." Liu gave his best to stay awake, but his last strength sapped. Liu blacked out, hearing the footsteps of the savior carrying him.

After painful minutes pass by, Liu slowly opened his eyes, he was in the teenage girl's bedroom. Light brown and white walls made up the girl's room, fitted with a small desk filled with books and pictures of herself. Liu was confined to a bed with his face wrapped in bandages, and the treatment was not professional, but she did her best to heal his injuries. Ridden with bruises and cuts, the bandages compressed down its wounds, though he still felt the pain. Liu could not move at all, it was like torture, minus the surgical tools tearing his flesh away. The only body part that was not restricted was his head. The medical tapes Liu had felt like being wrapped up into a coffin. Liu hated every time she applied medicine to the burn areas, weakly groaning out.

"This weeks news, a fight erupted in the docks. The police are still investigating what caused the violent brawl. Righteousness Union may have been behind it, but no conclusive evidence has been made." said the news anchor.

Against the injuries inflicted on Liu, it took a month for him to recover. Bandages all over his head did not fully heal him mentally. The teenage girl didn't get the proper chance to find out his name she saved. When he finally has the strength to move his hands, she removed the bandages, but his head still felt the sensational burn.

"You're Chinese, am I right?" said the teenage girl.

Liu removed the blanket that revealed his Olympic built body that had tattoos of a Dragon with Phoenix wings, A demon with cherry blossom patterns on his arms, and pectoral muscles. While his back is the Guan Yu, a famous general in the Hans Dynasty, and China's God of War. Liu's 40s dapper hairstyle stood out his appearance as he had a wrist bead on his right wrist. Upon closer inspection, a jewelry was not the right answer, it was Sockdolager's standby mode. She appeared surprised at his menacing tattoos and the IS standby mode.

"An IS pilot? How is that possible...?"

Liu shrugged since he doesn't know the answer. The teenage girl couldn't stop staring at his tattoos, and shuddered. The markings she saw numerous times were too familiar that belonged to a dangerous transnational organized crime.

"I seen those tattoos similar like yours, that makes you..."

"A Righteousness Union? Yeah, I'm not from a pretty world."

Liu finished her sentence. Of all this time, the teenage girl unknowingly saved the life of a notorious member from the Righteousness Union. Guilt-ridden, she contemplated how to deal with a complicated situation. If she turned Liu to the authorities, harsh retaliation might come after her. Release him right away, Liu will wreck havoc on the city against his nemesis with collateral damage.

 _That boy is now the second IS pilot next to Ichika Orimura?! I can't set him free with his destructive behavior! What to do, what to do?_ She seemed to not have any hope of thinking a solution, but after a brainstorm, the teenage girl came up with an idea.

"I know a place to keep you safe, bear with me," said the teenage girl, holding a Pineapple cake. Liu could unlock his potentials to be a skilled IS pilot, not waste his talents on crime.

"Where are you taking me?" Liu questioned, wondering if she will turn him in to the cops, but the Pineapple cake and her green eyes gazed into him. Liu comprehend the girl's action was genuine, and took a bite of the dessert. Its crumbly, fragrant crust and the chewy, sweet Pineapple filling exploded in his mouth.

"A place to teach you how to pilot an IS. I'm Lingyin Huang, what's your name?" The Chinese teenage girl slightly tilted her head.

"Liu King-Sang."

* * *

This fanfic contains several elements and references from music, films, other anime and some videogames.


	2. Replica Diamond

**Opening song: Waka Flocka Flame - Live By The Gun Ft. Ra Diggs, Uncle Murda. Songs are different to match each chapters.**

Liu almost died from a fight he instigated against Three Dragons's mobsters until Lingyin Huang, aka Rin, the IS Representative Candidate of China saved his life. Despite not receiving non professional treatment, Liu recovered long enough to move his body. Rin decided to transfer Liu to IS Academy for protection rather than locking him up at jail. Liu was more than just a Righteousness Union associate, he inadvertently became an IS pilot from touching Sockdolager. Liu's knowledge and skills of IS are below average because he recently operated Sockdolager in a short time.

Rin handed Liu new clothes neatly folded. "Here's something to get you patched up."

Liu wore a black Mandarin collar shirt, dark blue denim jeans, and black boat shoes. After adjusting his hair, Liu looked left and right at the colorful walls, then at Rin.

"How long has it been since I been in this house?"

"One month to be exact," said Rin, pointing a jewelry on his right wrist. "That happens to be your IS standby mode, is it?"

"I think so? I don't remember wearing a prayer bead with me."

"How are you not suppose to know that?" Rin couldn't believe Liu doesn't know personal IS users have standby mode, and his standby mode was a prayer bead. Rin knew sending Liu to IS Academy was a better choice to improve his IS skills.

"You obviously have one on your right wrist, partial deploy your IS."

Liu didn't understand partial deploy as he raised his right arm, nothing happened. He tried again, and a metallic black and midnight purple armor appeared on his forearm, much to his surprise.

"The fuck...?" Liu stared at his partial deployed Sockdolager as Rin didn't show signs of excitement.

"When your mind reads your actions, the personal IS responds, depending on the situation. Head outside with me."

Rin and Liu left her room as they walked to the backyard. Nothing significant with no decorations, except a plain concrete ground free of cracks. Rin extended her right arm to materialize her personal IS.

"Shenlong!" Rin commanded as bright light covered her body. In three seconds, Rin was in the black and pink with yellow outline exoskeleton armor. Two spherical device floated above each shoulders, and Chinese scimitars rested on her hands. Liu thought Rin was a normal civilian, but seeing her fully armed left him speechless.

"What's wrong? You look like you seen a ghost," said Rin. "How long are you going to stand there? Activate your IS!"

Rin's outburst snapped Liu out of trance as he materialized Sockdolager.

"3rd Generation IS by the looks of it," Rin circled around Liu. "Show me your weapons."

Liu take shape of Rattler on his left hand, Venom Slug .55 cal bullpup assault rifle on his right hand, and CQC knife rested on his waist.

"An all-rounder type, but it must have at least one advanced arsenal." Rin scratched her head. Liu had one, but his lack of knowledge on IS prevented him from unlocking its full power.

"Seems like you have no clue what I said. You'll understand it in due time because your new home will be in IS Academy."

They de-materialized their personal IS to get ready to leave China. Liu could have notified Righteousness Union on his whereabouts, but he didn't bother since they're probably too busy overseeing criminal activities. Not only that, his line of communications will be cut off when he steps foot to IS Academy.

* * *

 **Time: 10:53AM - IS Academy - Rin's Dorm**

IS Academy, home of Infinite Stratos users to learn how to effectively pilot an IS. The boarding school is compromised mainly girls, even the staff are women. Ichika Orimura was the only male student, but Liu was now the second male student. Liu was not used to his new home, and the fact he's no longer in China. Rin managed to persuade staff members to let Liu enter IS Academy due to his IS skills, despite his criminal background. The staff members were initially doubtful of Rin's reasoning, but when she mentioned students enrolled in IS Academy belong to no organizations by the IS regulations, they had no choice, but to accept Liu.

Inside the room a complete living room setting; a large couch, two side chairs, and a coffee table in between. A large flat screen TV surrounded between two twin size beds. Liu unpacked his belongings as Rin went to the bathroom to change her clothes.

"I'm going to head out to get familiar with Japan." Liu called out to Rin.

"Wait for me! I want to head out too."

"You sure about that? I rather-"

"I can't let you get lost wandering around, I know some places to hang out."

Liu and Rin entered the monorail to explore the streets. Rin tagged along to be his 'tour guide'. The real reason was she didn't want Liu to not cause trouble like he did in China. Rin started to harbor doubts about Liu's honesty as his new adventures takes place.

* * *

A Japanese boy with black hair named Ichika Orimura appeared to be sleeping on water, clouds drifting away slowly, but is woken up by a Shirokishi IS standing in front of him.

"Chifuyu...?" Ichika walked towards Shirokishi, it released an aura that changed from light to dark atmosphere. Shiroshiki choked Ichika with tremendous strength as he struggled to break free.

"I will kill you."

Tried as he might, Ichika could not escape the grasp of Shiroshiki.

"I will kill you..." Shiroshiki snarled, her fingers crushing Ichika's neck until he blacked out.

* * *

 **Time: 10:15AM - Room 1025**

Ichika lazily woke up to find everything normal until a leg kicked him in the face. He groaned in agony as a young girl with silver hair and eye patch revealed herself partially.

"Ugh...did I overslept again?" the German girl yawned with her eyes closed.

Ichika was not thrilled that she snuck in her room to sleep with him, again.

"Tsk...Laura! You again?"

Laura Bodewig giggled, revealing her blue swimsuit proudly. "Don't worry, I'm not naked today!"

"What the heck are you wearing?"

Ichika knew Laura sought advice from her instructor, the one that's not so perfect coming up with ideas. "My brilliant Lieutenant's recommendation."

"You're better off that you fire your instructor."

Laura's Second Lieutenant, Clarissa Harfouch gave her terrible inaccurate advice about life, given the fact she's an avid fan of shojo manga. This is because she believed every facts in manga, a worse way to translate fantasy facts into reality.

"There's a good reason why I waited for you to wake up," Laura said, pulling out a paper from her small cleavage as she handed to Ichika. "Please take a look at this."

"What is this? Let's see..." As Ichika read the paper, he jumped with excitement.

"Wow! I've wanted to check out End-of-the-Summer Date and Festival. I heard they opened the pool event at the amusement park this year."

Laura loomed over to Ichika, smiling that she wanted to go with him just the two of them.

"Is that right? Do you want to go?" said Laura excitedly.

"You can rent a yukata at the festival square."

"I've always wanted to wear a yukata with you." Laura blushed happily, shrugging her shoulders.

Just as Laura's wishes came true until Ichika said, "I'll call my friends to tag along with us-"

 **THONK!** A combat knife nailed against his bed, nearly killing him by an inch. Laura stormed out of Ichika's room angrily, but Ichika frowned, confused at her attempted murder.

"What's going on? Why is she so mad?"

* * *

Outside of IS Academy, a white Rolls Royce Phantom slowly came to a stop at the entrance. A maid opened the suicide doors for the British teenager to step out. She was a beautiful teenage girl who has blue eyes, long curly blonde hair, attired in a white sunhat and matching dress.

"Milady, may I express my gratitude for your service in England during your summer break, your country thanks you," Chelsea Blackett said in a British accent. "As a member of the Alcott family, it's my duty to serve, but more importantly..."

"I am here for my return!"

"Triumphant because at the end of the day, I intend to be under the same sky with my special someone, my beloved..."

"Hey, Cecilia!" Ichika blurted out, standing in front of her.

"I-Ichika! We haven't seen each other for a week, I hope you're having a pleasant summerl."

Days, weeks, or one month, Cecilia would miss Ichika a lot, even though it's been one week.

 _Mhmhmhm, is it possible that he came out here just so he can greet me?_

Cecilia apparently has delusions of being alone with Ichika when she imagined Ichika running towards her with a bouquet of roses.

 _Ohohohoho, oh my darling! I couldn't wait that you were coming back to me._ Ichika said in a manly voice, grabbing Cecilia by the arms.

 _Oh, Ichika, you naughty boy! We shouldn't do that out here where everyone can see!_

Cecilia in her happy dreams didn't want to wake up until Ichika called her out. "Cecilia, Cecilia?"

Awaken by the second time Ichika said her name, Cecilia snapped back to reality.

"Oh, I'm all right, I'm just feeling little bit lightheaded that's all."

"I see, you're okay then," said Ichika, handing a paper to Cecilia. "By the way, would you like to go to this event?"

As Cecilia glanced at the End-of-the-Summer Date and Festival, she became thrilled. "Oh! Are you asking me to go out with you, Ichika? Yes! I shall make all the proper preparations."

* * *

 **Time: 10:50AM -** **Cafeteria**

Laura sat across a young French woman with purple eyes, and blonde hair tied up in a ponytail as they eat lunch. Her name was Charlotte Dunois, the IS Representative Candidate of France. No one else occupied the cafeteria, except the two of them.

"He must be more aware of his duty as my bride," said Laura, chewing a juicy steak.

"It seems like something's bothering you."

Laura sliced a thin piece of steak as they talk about her problems, which she denied. "Ah? Oh no, it's nothing."

Charlotte is close friends with Laura like sisters, coming up with an idea to cheer her up. "I know, why don't we go do a little cloth shopping today if you have time."

"What for? The military supplies are my-"

"If you wore that out in public, your fellow Germans might not be too happy about it, right?"

Charlotte persuaded Laura to go shopping to fill in the space with colors because she is teaching Laura the proper social skills she didn't receive from her stint in the military.

"Come on, summer break is over. Let's go!"

"Hmm, I guess you got a point."

"So, can you be ready to leave around 10?"

"Yeah, that is fine."

Laura didn't quite understood the meaning of clothing as she wore her IS uniform. Charlotte took her to New Fall Fashion Fair to try out many clothing. Laura wasn't too confident which clothing suited her, but Charlotte didn't give up until she found the right one to impress her lover, Ichika. Despite the crowd ogling their platinum and blonde hair, they didn't seem to be bothered like they were treated as celebrities.

* * *

 **Time: 11:07AM - Dojo**

A Japanese teenage girl in a keikogi kneel with a katana on her right hand. She was Houki Shinonono that has dark blue eyes, and long black hair in a ponytail tied with a white and red ribbon. She quick draw the katana in one swift.

 _I know not the way to triumph over others, I know the way to triumph for myself, I want to protect the one who's important to me._ Houki mentally spoke herself to follow her own code as she quick draw again.

Houki took a shower to release her long black hair touched to her butt as the hot water cleansed her soft, pale skin.

Houki sighed, looking at her breasts because she was not confident in her looks of being feminine. _I don't believe it, I think my boobs got bigger again._

Just as Houki wished her breasts were a little bit smaller, a voice too recognizable echoed the dojo.

"Houki, are you in there?"

Houki knew right away it was Ichika, turning off the faucet as she hastily covered her voluptuous body. "Bah...u-um Ichika? What do you want?"

"I've been looking for you, Houki, can we talk?"

"Umm-ahh...ok, yeah ulp! Just give me a second!"

Houki in a white buttoned shirt opened the door slightly as her right hand covered her big breasts. "Uh, what do you want?"

Ichika slightly blushed staring at her big cleavage, even though it was unintentional. "Uh sorry, I guess you were in the shower."

"Yeah, I was," said Houki in a obvious tone. "So what do you want to talk about?"

"Would you go to this with me?" Ichika gave Houki the same paper he did to Laura and Cecilia. However, her breasts were slightly exposed as Houki read the paper, and Ichika accidentally stared at before looking away.

"I know it's kind of the last minute, so you don't have to go."

"Sure! I'm easy," said Houki, very happy to go out with Ichika.

* * *

 **Time: 11:09AM - Cafe Cruise**

Rin guided Liu the streets of Japan, he understood Japan a little bit better. Rin bought a red Cheongsam while Liu got himself a Brera Orologi militare watch. Even though some places were crowded, and Liu nearly got lost in the crowds, Rin never lost Liu in her sights. They sat next to the windows for a beautiful view as Rin took some pictures.

"So good!" Rin happily munched on a sweet Mango mousse. Liu had a cup of tea, thinking of his hometown.

"Try some of this cake, you won't get this kind of taste around here." Rin gave Liu a fork, and he took a bite. The flavor was something Liu could not get, Rin wasn't joking when it comes to food. Rin saw Liu with slight discomfort on his expression.

"You're all right?" Rin asked.

"Don't mind me! This tea has hella caffeine it got me acting up weird haha!" Liu laughed not fully sincere to brighten the mood, but Rin wasn't buying his fake laughter.

"Were you thinking of China? Or you want to get more cake?"

"No way I would go back, Rin," said Liu. "Waitress, can we get another Mango mousse, please?"

"Uh huh," said Rin sarcastically. While they eat their soft, creamy desserts, Laura and Charlotte came in as well to have food. Rin did not expect them to show up, nearly choking her food in the process.

"Ack! L-Laura and Charlotte? Waitress, can we get another seat? It's too hot here!"

Rin dragged Liu to a new table away from Laura and Charlotte before they saw them, but Liu was confused why she didn't greet them. Instead, he played along to not get her on the bad side.

"I'm tired," said Laura, yawning.

"You should have just kept it on."

"Well, you know...I didn't want to get it dirty." On the other side, the manager listened to the conversation between Laura and Charlotte.

"Mmhmm, or you just want Ichika to be the first person to see you wearing it?" Charlotte teased. Laura slammed her hands on the table in defense.

"Nein! Th-that's not true at all!"

"Excuse me you two!" said the manager. "Would you like to work here part-time?"

 **Few minutes later...**

"Why am I dressed as a butler?" said Charlotte, looking at her dark blue uniform.

"Because you're just much more handsome and better-looking than a lot of guys around here." The manager replied. Charlotte sighed looking at Laura in a maid as she served drinks to the customers. Charlotte has a taste wearing maid outfits, wishing she had one.

"I want to wear a maid outfit, too. Is this who I really am?"

"Don't worry, tootz, you look amazing!"

Charlotte chuckled slightly at the manager's compliment before more customers showed up.

"Welcome to Cafe Cruise!" Charlotte scooped a teaspoon of sugar from the cup as she poured it on the hot cocoa. Customers were dazzled by Charlotte's elegant appearance.

"Well then, please let me know if you will be needing anything else, Milady." said Charlotte, bowing to the customers.

What seems to be a perfect day at the cafe until three robbers in ski masks ran towards the Cafe Cruise. Each of them had a brown duffel bag full of money, armed with Taurus PT92 pistols. On the opposite side, a man carrying a drag bag made his way to Cafe Cruise.

"Hello! Welcome to Cafe AAAHHH!" The manager screamed upon seeing the black semi-automatic pistols as three robbers barged in, and fired a warning shot.

"Everyone freeze!" The first robber commanded.

People yelled in terror as the second robber fired another warning shot, and yelled, "SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

While the robbers controlled the crowd, the man walked in casually, not paying attention that a robbery has occurred.

"Stay back! I got hostages!" The third robber yelled at the man. Instead of listening, the man removed his drag bag that revealed a Russian SKS rifle, aiming at the crowd and robbers simultaneously.

"Who the fuck are you?!" The second robber yelled.

"I want a few minutes of your time! Everyone down on the ground! Now!"

Those with bigger guns have better control over the hostages. The man's semi-automatic carbine made everyone complied, as opposed to the robbers' pistols. Liu and Rin lay down as their hearts beat at a fast pace. However, a couple tried to crawl away, but the SKS wielding man struck them with the butt of his carbine. The wooden stock chipped the man's tooth and broke the woman's nose with small blood dripping.

"Hold up! Where are you going? You and you - give up everything you got, or I'll blow your heads off!" The man barked, jabbing the muzzle on their faces to make his point. The hostages slowly throw away their wallets, cellphones, and jewelries. He walked towards the rest of the crowd, getting more greedy with the loot. The man stared at Liu and Rin, poking them to make sure they don't try to play hero. Liu attempted to take action, but Rin stopped him.

"No, don't even think about it!" Rin whispered.

"If we don't take action, who knows what will happen next?" said Liu, tapping his left finger.

"Please listen to me, it's not worth the risk."

"What happens if he decides to turn a cafe into a firing squad? Fuck that!"

"You blockhead! They have guns, how-"

"Back me up, his back is turned!" Liu silently crept up to the man clutching his SKS, preparing to make his move. Rin cowered her head in despair, wishing Liu would listen.

Both sides pointed their guns at each other as the robbers were confused at another robber unrelated to them. A fleet of police cars surrounded Cafe Cruise as officers draw their guns at the robbers.

"You're already surrounded!" The police officer commanded. "Just turn yourselves in without resistance. I repeat-" A hail of gunfire cut short of his sentence.

The robber fired his Mac 10 machine pistol at the police, sending them covering.

"Better get us a car if you don't want me to kill the hostages!"

"Don't even think about putting a track device on it!" The robbers commanded. Charlotte hid behind the counter, watching the first robber ordering Laura to get them drinks.

"What the hell is this?" the third robber questioned, looking at the cup filled with ice.

"It's water. Shut up and drink it," said Laura, grinning a mischievous smile. "That is, if you can!"

Laura threw the cups and flicked ice cubes at the first robber, disarming him, and she kicked to the stomach that incapacitated him. Liu was close to stop his target, but suddenly, the man turned around, and pointed his carbine at Liu. He aimed to execute Liu, but the commotion of the robbers fighting Laura and Charlotte got him distracted. Liu took the opportunity to wrestle away the man's SKS. They struggled to take control of the rifle as the man fired randomly, nearly hitting the hostages.

"Liu!" Rin jumped on the robber to assist Liu, a risky move they initiated. They nearly succeeded, but the man fired too close on Rin's ear, almost losing her hearing sight, and kicked her away.

"You fuck!" Liu slammed him against the counter, and he lost his SKS from the impact. The SKS slid towards Rin as they fought control to regain the possession of the SKS.

"Rin! Grab the gun, and squeeze the trigger!" Liu yelled, grabbing hold of the man.

Rin forced herself to crawl towards the SKS, her mind overwhelmed of using a firearm the first time. Struggling with the conflicts to kill the man in order to save Liu's life, Rin made her decision to grab the SKS.

"AAAAAHHHHH!" Rin screamed, squeezing the trigger, and fired. The 7.62x39mm shot the man in the right bicep, narrowly hitting Liu in the process. The man charged towards Rin, and she promptly fired three rounds, yelping in panic. The man was hit in the rib cage, forearm, and thigh. The shots were superficial wounds, and the man realized he's powerless without his gun. He fled like a rat, blood dribbling from its wounds, losing his loot and ammunition in the process. Rin quickly threw the SKS away, shuddering in fear. Liu confiscated the drag bag, the SKS and ammunition and they escaped at the back door.

"Don't screw with us, you little brat!" said the second robber, firing his PT92 at Laura.

"We'll kick your ass!" said the third robber, cocking his pistol. Charlotte rushed towards the second robber, followed up by a kick to the robber's temple.

"Unfortunately...she's not the only brat here!" said Charlotte. "Target Two has been apprehended, and you, mon ami?"

"No problem. Target Three, apprehended." replied Laura, standing at the incapacitated robber.

Struggling to hold his gun, the remaining robber fired more rounds at Laura and Charlotte.

"This is bull-! How'd we let these kids do this to us!?" Laura beat him to it, and pistol whipped him.

"Too slow. You'd be dead. All three targets have been apprehended." The hostages were released from the captives of the robbers.

"We're saved!"

"Thank you, Maid and Butler!" Charlotte and Laura looked outside of the police cars.

"Laura, there might be some trouble if they find out we're the representative candidates." said Charlotte.

Just as they were about to leave, the robber suddenly revealed bombs strapped to his chest.

"I'd rather blow the fuckin' roof off the place, and die here than get caught and spend the rest of my life in jail!"

The robber was about to press the trigger, but Laura and Charlotte were too fast for him, and fired two rounds at the switches, disarming him. The robber fainted that his plans to take everyone with him failed.

"Checkmate!" said Laura and Charlotte, aiming their pistols at the knocked out robber.

"Next time, I'l blow your arms off." Laura said.

The man did not get far because cops caught him on five blocks away. Blood trail he left from his bullet wounds made the cops easy to nab the robber. Luckily, he made a recovery at a hospital, and when he woke up, cops greet him with cuffs to be charged with armed robbery. Rin and Liu found an abandoned safe-house to hide the SKS and ammunition. They inspect the safe-house filled with useless junk covered with dust bunnies. Rin was still visibly shaken up using a gun as Liu tried to calm her nerves.

"I killed him...I killed him..." Rin muttered, shaking.

"Shots were superficial, he won't-"

"Idiot! Did you not see I shot him three times in the forearm, thigh and ribcage?!"

"Calm down! You didn't hit him in the vital organs, the bullets sliced his skin."

Liu reasoned his actions to save the hostages, but Rin didn't listen, and quickly turned into a heated argument.

"Your fault that you played hero!" Rin shouted, partial deploying her IS, and slammed the desk in two. "The cops were ready to bust the robbers, but no! How reckless can you be to stop him with your hands?"

"Chased the bastard away, that's what we did! No one stood up to stop him!"

"Your head would be scalped open if he shot you right away, the distraction got you lucky!"

"Luck?! Bullshit! Why the fuck are we raising our voices at each other?"

Rin gritted her teeth at Liu's reckless behavior, still angry that she made a unforgettable choice pulling the trigger of the gun. "Goddamn it! We're getting nowhere from this nonsense!"

"Over that for nothing! You saved my life, twice, and what a great way to repay you back!"

Liu and Rin stopped raising their voices to win in a senseless argument. A few moment of silence to calm themselves, Liu checked the remaining bullets in the cartridge, inspecting no damages were made. Rin stepped back away from the carbine, not wanting to remember the experience.

"Liu, what's that?"

"What do you mean? It's an SKS you just shot at. You want to check it out?"

Liu handed the SKS, but Rin shook her head repeatedly. "Get that away from me!"

"The safety's on, bullets won't discharge."

Rin hesitated, but changed her mind as she held the classic wooden Russian carbine. Rin cocked the bolt to see few bullets remaining in the cartridge. Inexperienced with guns, Rin looked for bullets to fill in the gap, but had no clue how.

"How do you reload?" Rin asked as Liu set stripper clips on the table.

"First, you line up the bullets into this little clip."

Liu inserted the 7.62x39mm into the thin piece of metal as Rin followed him. After loading several rounds, Liu took a stripper clip, insert onto the cartridge, and cocked the bolt.

"When you see the bolt pulled back, insert them into the cartridge, and cock back, that's how you reload." Liu said, pointing the bolt and the cartridge. Rin was initially scared firing a gun, but she became familiar with it observing the steps. They worked together to stopped a robber, despite the fiasco they caused. Looking to store the weapon and ammunition properly, Liu found a drum container, and stored it inside, covering it up with a large plastic bag.

"We chased the robber out, that's what matters the most." Liu said.

"Yeah. Between the two of us, let's keep this a secret, ok?"

Liu and Rin agreed to not talk this incident, and the safe-house to anyone else as they head back to IS Academy. The SKS became their prized possession for saving the hostages.

* * *

 **12:32AM - Unknown Base Facility**

A small teenage girl in dark clothing walked down the corridor. Her appearance almost resemble Chifuyu Orimura in her high school days.

"Intruder detected in the Area 6-D! Intercept it right away! I repeat. Intruder detected in the Area 6-D!"

Battalion of soldiers scurried to intercept the intruder as the girl walked towards the exit.

"Can you hear me ok?" said the female voice on her intercom. "Let me make this clear. Your body is equipped with supervisory nano-machines that tracks every movement you make. Therefore, you will carry out your mission as ordered."

Soldiers spotted the girl, aimed their M16A2 assault rifles with M203 grenade launchers, and fired.

"Vile rodents." said the girl, dodging the bullets. She dual wield M1911A1 pistols, and fired at the soldiers' feet, incapacitating them. No matter how hard they tried, their bullets did not hit her once. She leaped into the air, shooting the soldier's feet, and kicked him in the face.

"Killed me yet?" the girl taunted, delivering a roundhouse kick to the last soldier in the jaw.

"Good girl, M." said the caller. "I'm looking forward to seeing more of it."

Just as she was a few feet away from the entrance, four green Raphael Revive IS surrounded M, guns drawn at her face.

"This is a restricted area! Drop your weapons now!" the IS female pilot demanded. M grinned, extending her arms out, and small glob of light shined on her hands.

"Is she going to fight us barehanded?" said IS female pilot, aiming her gun at the girl.

"I'm here to take a special IS that's been sealed away in this base...the special Infinite Stratos that's mine. Deploy!"

Bright light engulfed her, and she was in a blue and white IS armor. From a full body view, it seems to resemble a butterfly, but the IS she has was stolen from England, a more advanced version of Cecilia's Blue Tears.

"That's Silent Zephyrs!"

M locked on her foes, and raised her right arm, deploying a Star Breaker gun.

"Could that be the Phantom Task?!" The IS pilot exclaimed. M sadistically grinned, and pulled the trigger, turning half the base into barren wasteland.

Liu took a rest at Rin's dorm while Rin went away to the amusement park. Ichika met up with the girls to go to the water amusement park, but it turns out Ichika invited everyone, which they were greatly annoyed. Despite Ichika being blamed by the girls when they realize that it's not a date after all, they had fun regardless. The last day of summer came to an end, memories were saved forever to cherish their friendship.

* * *

 **Time: 1:22AM - Guangzhou, China**

Inside a mansion, Three Dragons sat on a leather chair, admiring the view of the city shrouded in darkness. An 18 year old woman with long black scarlet hair attired in dark clothes stood behind Three Dragons. She was Three Dragons' bodyguard that has sworn her ultimate loyalty to him.

"So, Liu is in Japan and training to be an IS pilot. Now the game gets interesting. Shen, pack your bags, we're going to visit an old friend."

Shen Xun handed Three Dragons his GSh-18 as she took her USP45, heading to their destination.


	3. No Heart No Love

**Opening song: 50 Cent - Irregular Heartbeat Ft. Jadakiss, Kidd Kidd**

 **Time: 8:30 AM, IS Academy**

 **"Liu!"** boomed a voice. Liu woke up from his dreams as he got off from his bed.

"Hurry up and get dressed or you'll be late for class!"

"Yeah I'll be there, Rin." said Liu. He wore his IS uniform with a blue tie, which was uncommon for a uniform to have. As Rin waited for Liu, he made final adjustments to his hair, and stepped out.

"Remember, you're not in China, so please behave yourself." said Rin.

Liu gave a bored expression at her warning. "Ok, but tell me why I'm in IS Academy?"

"Don't you remember? I enlisted you here because of what you did at the warehouse? You could have been arrested or killed for your actions. Or the fact we ran our asses off from Cafe Cruise?"

"I can claim it was in self-defense that those guys attacked me first."

"Still, I had to save you from the hands of those gangsters." Liu went silent momentarily, not wanting to remember Three Dragons Tsao that nearly killed him.

"Fine, I'll listen to you." They arrived at Room 1-1 as Liu stared at the sign.

* * *

 **Time: 9:00AM - **Room 1-1****

Swarm of women walked past him as 2nd year students were talking about the IS.

 _Who are these girls?_ Liu thought.

Liu looked outside of IS Academy Stadium until a tall Japanese woman with long black hair in a business suit stood in front of him.

"What are you doing standing outside of class?" she said.

Liu turned his attention towards the woman in front of him. It was Chifuyu Orimura, Ichika's older sister, former IS Representative of Japan, and Mondo Grosso champion.

"Oh I'm sorry," Liu apologized. "I wasn't paying attention that I was outside of your class."

"You need to be aware next time. Come inside the classroom to introduce yourself to the students."

"Ok, Orimura-sensei." Liu knew right away Chifuyu was strict after hearing her words, so he addressed her Orimura-sensei for formality.

Liu and Chifuyu entered the classroom as the short green hair woman made an announcement. "I would like to introduce a new student!"

Liu observed the classroom, and saw the girls shocked. Something wasn't right after seeing all girls, but Ichika. _Is this an all girls boarding school?_

"I'm Liu King-Sang...that is all!" he said. Just like Laura's short introduction, the class went dead silent.

"Nothing else you want to say?" Chifuyu questioned.

Liu shook his head as he went to his seat, and the class begun.

* * *

 **Time: 11:45 AM -Cafeteria**

Girls huddled Liu's lunch table with Ichika and his friends.

"Why did you enroll IS Academy?" a female student asked.

"To get education." Liu said, eating his steak stir-fry with bell peppers.

"You must be Chinese. Do you know Rin?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I'm just wondering. Are you two related?" Rin stood up, slamming her hands on the table.

"We're not related at all! Who thought we are siblings just because we're Chinese?" Liu shook his head as the girls stood in silence before walking to their tables.

"You're Liu, aren't you?" said Ichika, eating his ramen.

Unfortunately, Liu was not quite easy to get along since he's not completely familiar with IS Academy. "Did you listen in class?"

Houki slapped Ichika's head in the back.

"Pay attention, Ichika! Were you daydreaming again?" said Houki, annoyed.

"Hey! Do you know who I am?" Cecilia said. Liu looked at her with no interest.

"No, get lost." She took offense of Liu's uncaring attitude and she won't let that get away.

"You're rude! My name's Cecilia Alcott, the Cadet Representative of Great Britain! You should show some res-"

"Bitch, shut the hell up! You're in my way."

Liu said, interrupting her. Cecilia was furious of being called a bitch, and tried to slap Liu, but Houki held her back.

"What's your problem?" Houki scolded at Liu. "Cecilia didn't say a word, that doesn't give you the right to put her down."

Houki turned towards Rin to question her. "New guy is not Mr. Sunshine, how exactly do you know him?"

Rin sighed. "Yeah I know him, but it's complicated to explain."

Charlotte sought some interest of Liu's training, and tailed him.

* * *

 **Time: 12:35 PM -Stadium**

Liu walked to the training area, materializing Sockdolager with Venom Slug and Rattler. As Liu took flight, multiple targets appeared, and he fired every targets until they were destroyed.

"Liu! I'm impressed with your marksmanship, but I think I can finish that course faster than you." said Charlotte.

"You better watch what you wish for."

"Why don't we have a friendly fight? I hope your words comprehend your actions."

Liu tilted his head, and a sadistic grin crept on his face.

"I like to see you try!"

Charlotte activated Rafale-Revive Custom II, readied her Vent .55 cal semi-automatic assault rifle and fired. Liu ducked, firing his Venom Slug as gunshots cracked in the Stadium.

She crouched beneath the concrete dividers, firing rapidly, one-man army style. Every time Liu tried to make a move, he had to avoid constantly being shot from barrage of bullets.

"I must have underestimated you!"

"This is just the beginning!" said Charlotte, firing her Garm .61 cal sub-machine gun. Projectiles whizzed from both parties while they take cover from the obstacle course at every turn. One of the bullets from Charlotte hit its mark on Liu's left shoulder.

Liu was frenetic with bewilderment, shouting "Shit!" with another smattering of gunshots. He backed through the collapsed infrastructure, seeing nothing. Marbles of granite cracked and tinkled, dust clouded his vision.

Liu tried to shoot back, despite the skewed vision, but his attack missed. Liu backed straight out of his cover, crouching, keeping Charlotte in sight as he returned fire. Charlotte dodged, sprinting with her Bread Slicer knife, but he countered with his own knife.

Steel blades clashed, screeched as they fight, determined to win the battle. Charlotte threw Liu down on the ground to finish him off. Liu narrowly avoided the execution blow by rolling over. Liu raised his Rattler and fired back.

Liu hurled a huge chunk of rock like a hammer throw. Charlotte shot the rock to pieces, but that was a setup. Liu closed in on her, threw a 1-2-5-2 boxing combination, followed by left cross that knocked Charlotte to the ground.

He was about to execute his finishing blow, but Charlotte counterblow with a roundhouse kick. She delivered a hook kick to the temple, stunning him, and unleashed a rain of bullets, damaging Liu's energy shield.

Liu defended from Charlotte's frontal assault. Glancing at his helmet, he saw the shield power at 22%. _I don't get what that number is saying, get away!_

He grabbed the tip of the knife and threw at Charlotte. She swiped it away, only to see him charging with a flying knee. Charlotte blocked the attack, and Liu responds with an axe kick, but missed. He threw a right hook, but hitting in thin air.

Charlotte pistol-whipped that made Liu reeled back. Charlotte caught him with a spinning back kick to the stomach, and a backhand swipe at the nose.

Retreating, Liu blindly fired, but none of his bullets scored a hit. She stood to her ground, returning fire. To make things worse, he ran out of ammunition. Charlotte saw an opportunity to end it, but she also ran dry of magazine.

The bullets dissipated as Liu appeared battle torn, and Charlotte had some minor scratches, being the most experienced IS pilot.

"What will it take to finish you off?"

"Come now, is that all you got?"

Charlotte teased. They charged full speed as Liu threw an uppercut, which she retaliated with a right cross. Charlotte struck a direct hit, and Liu ran out of energy shield from the finishing blow.

"The mock battle was enjoyable, but your consumption on energy shield needs a lot of work, mon ami."

"Guess I have a long journey awaiting for me..."

* * *

 **Time: 1:00PM -Rin's Dorm**

"You must have like fighting so much, do you?" said Rin, applying rubbing alcohol on his back filled with bruises.

"I haven't gotten a workout after I was in the bed for too long." replied Liu, wiping blood oozing from his temple. Rin grabbed his wrist to stop it.

"Don't clean it off with your hands, you'll get infected." She gently dab the cut with cotton swab with hydrogen peroxide, before adding antibacterial cream on the bandage.

Rin sighed treating his injuries. "There, that should do it. Take some rest because you'll really need it before you can have mock battles."

"If you insist."

"It's fine to have mock battles, but to the extent of destroying IS armors? You know better than that."

Liu came up with an honest excuse, but not even close to answer the messy fight.

"Once I'm in fight mode, it's hard for me to control myself."

"Must I have to remind you again this is an IS Academy, not a personal fight club?" Rin wasn't finished to reprimand Liu. "I dragged you to IS Academy so you won't get targeted by people that's after you, and the first day of class, you got into a fight!"

"Rin..." Liu got cut short by Rin's short tempered outburst.

"Second, you didn't bother to properly introduce yourself with your rudeness! How arrogant did you have to be when you fight Charlotte?"

Liu thought back for a moment that he was indeed out of control, but there was more than his arrogance.

"How can you take actions without thinking of the consequences? If you continue your rash decisions, I won't be able to cover you again like last time!" The hard hitting words struck Liu to the heart, leaving him lost of his words.

"Look, I don't want want to see you finishing personal vendettas with your personal IS because you'll abuse its powers. Please don't turn what you learn into your selfish use."

Rin enlisted him to IS Academy for good reasons: If it weren't for her, Liu would most likely be sent to jail for the fight, or worse, Liu may have died on the spot. Most of all, keep Liu away from foes that were after his life. As of now, Liu knew some basics of Sockdolager, but his lack of defense was inadequate, and doesn't know what his advanced weaponry is.

* * *

 **Time: 2:23PM - Dojo**

Ichika and Houki sparred as the shinai echoed each strike. Liu was about to step inside until Chifuyu stood behind him.

"Were you about to ask Ichika and Houki to spar with you?"

Liu did not expect her to be here. "How did you know that?"

"Don't play dumb with me, I saw what happened between you and Charlotte."

Liu could not comprehend Chifuyu's some sort of mind reading tricks.

Chifuyu knew Liu could not hide his actions, and decides to help him out. "You could have asked me to train you the basics of an IS. The way you fight, what were you trying to accomplish in a friendly fight?"

Liu was shocked his personal vendettas slowly revealed.

"A setup turned my life upside down.."

* * *

 **1-Year Ago**

Liu and his group of mobsters approached Three Dragons Tsao and his men at an underground parking lot. He held an IS in the form of a gauntlet. "I got the IS, you got the money?"

Three Dragons revealed a briefcase filled with 15,000,000 Yuan. "I'll inspect the IS first before you get your money."

After inspecting the IS, Three Dragons gave the briefcase to Liu's friend, Chow Wai-kei.

Chow was inspecting the money, but suddenly, Three Dragons turned around and stabbed him in the stomach long enough to kill him. He kicked Chow away as Three Dragons retrieved the briefcase.

"You spineless fuck!" yelled Liu, his men instinctively drew their blunt trauma weapons. "This was not part of the agreement!"

Three Dragons shrugged. "Consider this a done deal to quell down our dispute." He was distracted looking at the briefcase until Liu's lackey punched Three Dragons' mobster in retaliation. Like a domino effect, the opposing parties followed the single punch that instigated a brawl. Liu tried to snatch the briefcase and the IS from Three Dragons' hands, but in the struggle, a mobster accidentally fell onto Three Dragons, and Liu took them away, revealing a knife.

"Get that son of a bitch!" Three Dragons shouted at his men to recover the briefcase and the IS unit.

All hell breaks loose when a fight broke out, wail of fists and weapons collided from both parties. Bodies slammed onto parked cars, endless violence spewed where there were no deciding factors of winners or losers. Liu fought Three Dragons' men without any thoughts of blocking their attacks. Despite being struck by blunt trauma weapons, it didn't stop him to increase his body count. A thug whacked Liu in the spine with a baseball bat. In response, he grabbed the thug's collar, and headbutt him three times until his nose broke. Bloodthirsty to knock more bodies, Liu snatched a knife, and stabbed another goon in the chest, head, and neck. Out for retaliation, Three Dragons' posses beat Liu up with iron pipes, collapsible batons, and spiked clubs. Liu tried to fight back, but they gained the upper hand until his colleagues held him back.

"We have to go!" Liu tried to struggle, but he ended up fleeing with his remaining men while Three Dragons' goons give chase.

"Hold them back, they cannot get their hands on the IS!" Backup arrived to push Three Dragons' mob away as they ran hard to evade their pursuers.

"Take this IS and hide it safely!" Liu gave a fellow member the IS as he ran in different directions. They ignored the crowd fleeing in terror from its bloody appearance and torn weapons.

Liu turned to his mobsters that survived the brawl. "Three Dragons can't let this get away after what he done to us, and those who are still breathing gets to kill this asshole!"

* * *

 **Present Time**

"That deal was a setup by Three Dragons..." said Liu in a cold tone.

"How did you get into conflict with Three Dragons?"

"We were in the same set, but didn't get along that eventually turned from bad to worse."

"Keep going."

"Three Dragons and I fought over the IS for rightful ownership. He won't stop until he gets his hands on it." Liu clenched his fist, vowed to wipe Three Dragons off the Earth.

"When I saw Three Dragons, the opportunity was there to wipe him out, but he beat me to it, and tried to take my life away."

"A small dispute that turned into a war, I see," Chifuyu patted Liu on the head. "It appears you're greatly motivated by personal vendettas, but your lack of restraint is problematic."

"Then what do you suggest me to do? Let it sit there like it's nothing?"

"Simple, put your vendettas aside, and hold back when it's crucial. You're here to learn how to pilot an IS, not to settle scores. I can deal with Three Dragons, but don't you pull that off again, are we clear?"

Liu was hesitant to object Chifuyu's order, but her stern tone was enough to change his decision.

"Oh and another thing, make sure you study because midterms are coming up next week. You can make amends to Ichika when they're not training."

Chifuyu left as Liu went back to Rin's dorm. What Liu doesn't know was Chifuyu knew the background of Three Dragons and Righteousness Union because she wanted to put an end on their crime sprees. Even though Three Dragons can't pilot an IS, his extensive connections has made him a threat. His recent access to IS can be used to recruit rogue IS pilots or dangerous crooks for mass destruction.

* * *

In the underground parking lot scene, I changed it to knives/blunt trauma weapons to reflect the real world strict gun control laws in Asia, particularly China. There will be a balance between firearms and melee weapons to level out the playing field.


	4. Wish the Rain Won't Go Away

**Opening song: YG - I Got a Question Ft. Lil Wayne**

 **Time: 7:30PM - Stadium**

Rin and Liu trained in their IS, flying in directions to land a direct hit. Rin's Ryuhou prevented Liu to get in close combat, forcing him to shoot her at different angles. Rin has superior training, deflecting his mid-range attacks. Liu could not come up with other attacks besides shooting. Rin loses her temper when under-performed, but she has better combat senses than Liu. He fears little in a fight, but Liu rarely used his head to overwhelm his opponents with gunfire instead of being subtle or use proper skills.

"Is that all you got?" Rin ridiculed at Liu's basic strikes, charging her Souten Gagetsu. The blade swiped Liu's Venom Slug out of his hands, drawing his Rattler. Rin was too fast for Liu, slapping it away. Left with the CQC knife, they locked in places as Rin pushed Liu back further. Liu lunged forward to stab, but she knew it coming, parrying the attack. As they traded blows, Rin had the upper advantage to prepare her finishing blow.

"Time to end this!" Rin raised her Souten Gagetsu up high for an overhead strike. As the blade traveled down Liu's head, he foolhardy blocked his face with his small knife against the giant scimitars. On spur of moment, a beam saber generated through the metal blade, making a dent on the scimitars. Liu did not expect some source of power to appear like magic. Taking advantage of the new power, Liu jabbed and sliced consecutively. Liu appeared to turn the tables around as Rin put more effort against the beam saber.

"Bitch, don't get too cocky with that new weapon of yours!"

Rin made a disappointing comeback by firing her Ryuhou. Liu crash landed, and his energy shield immediately went to zero. Rin expected Liu to withstand at least five hits, but one hit ended the fight. Rin showed Liu the onboard footage of the fight, where she dominated the fight.

"You need to work on your defense," Rin was perturbed at Liu's performance. "It's barely noticeable, and you got KO from one hit."

"Shit, girl, thanks for the notice, but I'm learning the blocks."

By the time Liu refurbished his energy shields, Rin sparred once again until Liu learned how to learn justifiable defense tactics. After excruciating minutes flew by, Rin concluded the training session. Liu's beam saber was Sockdolager's advanced weaponry that can increase its speed. Liu sort of got the hang of the essential skills to pilot an IS, but still nowhere close as Rin and Cecilia's abilities. After getting cleaned up, Liu and Rin read their IS textbooks, jotting notes on the notebooks. Liu wasn't having a good time studying, groaned at the diagram of an IS. "Does an IS have to be complicated to understand?"

"That's how IS's are made," replied Rin, writing notes on her paper. "You think an IS can be complete by Lego pieces? Doesn't work that way."

The night was quiet in the IS Academy and midterms were coming up tomorrow. Three days ago, all classes had ended and study period began. Liu was in IS Academy for a month, but he understood the basic topics Chifuyu and Maya lectured. He was given an option from Chifuyu and Maya an extra day to study for the midterms, but Liu declined because he wanted to get it over with.

"Combat Theory, Physics and Math are the subjects I have no problem with," said Liu, twirling his pen. "Not the IS structure that's filled with doo-hickey bullshit."

"How about quit complaining and study?" Rin suggested.

"Fine." Liu mumbled as he re-read the diagram of an IS, highlighting important texts. After a few minutes, he closed his textbook to take a break.

"IS somehow relates to a human body," said Liu. "The difference is it runs on machines of course, not organs."

"If you're awake, and not sleep during class, you should be fine." said Rin as Liu mocked her by imitating her mouth. "Kiss my ass."

Liu blew a kiss to get on Rin's nerve, but he didn't really mean it, just for jokes, and his stomach growled. "I'm starving, but I'm not buying food at the cafeteria because it's a rip-off. How about cooking food here?"

"Sure. You want sweet and sour pork?"

"No thanks, I'll have Nikujaga. I'll cook the rice."

They walked towards the kitchen to they prepare the food. Liu stared at Rin slicing the potatoes with a knife, and chuckled, washing the rice.

"What are you laughing at?" said Rin, annoyed.

Liu smirked when Rin looked back. "Nothing. It's just that you look pretty when you cook. I think you'll be great to run a restaurant like your parents did."

Rin blushed hearing the word "pretty".

"Oh, umm how thoughtful of you."

"Rin, I have to say thanks for saving my ass in China, who knows what would have happen to me?"

"I guess. What I want to know is why Three Dragons is after you and Sockdolager?"

"Three Dragons tried to kill me over Sockdolager and the money he claimed I stole from him."

"Did you really do that?"

"No, that pok gai set this up because in reality, we fought over who had it first. Asshole made a deal to end the dispute, which was a fluke to get me killed."

They finished preparing the food as they walk to the table, ate Nikujaga in silence. For the first time, Liu was able to live in a normal life. He made amends to Ichika, and greeted him warmly instead of a hostile. Every time Liu hung out with Ichika and his friends, he gained connection to humanity. After eating dinner, Rin washed the dishes and, Liu head straight to bed.

"Jou tau, Rin."

"Goodnight, Liu."

* * *

 **Time: 8:00AM – Room 1-1**

During the midterm sessions, students were in their classrooms, glancing through their exams, but Liu was fully prepared, bubbling the correct answers. As hours fly by, the midterms were coming to an end. When Liu received his grades on the computer, he got A's and a B+ in Chifuyu's class. He was satisfied with his grades and shut off his computer.

On the way out, Chifuyu leaned against the wall. "Liu, nice job on getting good grades. You should have taken my offer to get an A in my class."

"Thanks, Orimura sensei, but I don't need it." Liu replied.

"Very well then, remember what I said to you, and have a good one."

* * *

 **Time: 8:20AM - Stadium**

2 IS flew high in the sky as Rin's Ryuhou fired shots at Ichika. He dodged the compressed air bullets to counterattack with his Yukihara Type 2. She used her Souten Gagetsu to block the attack. The fight continues, and Rin continuously fired lasers, but it missed, again.

He took his particle cannon and fired back. Rin frantically dodged from being shot at before raising her scimitars in a overhead strike. Ichika's particle cannon landed a direct hit, sending her flying to the ground.

"I can do this!" said Ichika, firing his particle cannon at Rin. She rose back up to go frontal assault.

They squared off, flying from corner to corner in many directions. Rin and Ichika traded blows, both of them were not giving up.

"The first practical training of the 2nd semester," said Maya. "These two seem very enthusiastic."

"Yeah." said Chifuyu in an unenthusiastic tone. Liu wasn't sure why Chifuyu didn't fully agree with Maya's remark. He want to chime in, but he didn't want to interrupt at the wrong time.

"Once again Ichika is the dominant one in this battle." Liu stood in silence, watching Ichika attacking Rin with full force.

"Orimura-sensei, do you really think he's going to win? From what I'm seeing, I think Rin might lose."

"No, Liu and Maya, that idiot has no strategy and is being too reckless."

Rin and Ichika breathed heavily, ready to attack again. Ichika, in kamae stance was ready to strike. "Rin, the next one will end it." He charged at Rin, which she strikes back. He attacked her without holding back, sparks flied from his sword, but suddenly, his shield depleted to 0. His sword ran out of power, and Ichika couldn't believe in his eyes until Rin threw her scimitars that struck his shoulders.

"You're using your shield too much!" said Rin, aiming her Impact Cannons at Ichika, and shot him.

* * *

 **Time: 8:38AM - Men's Locker Room**

"I was so close to winning." said Ichika. "I guess I need to work on fuel consumption..." He was about to leave until a pair of hands covered his eyes.

"Guess who!" said a female voice.

"Huh? Heh? Ahhh!? Who the heck is that?"

"Times up!" He turned around, and saw a teenage girl with short blue hair and red eyes. Ichika questioned the girl he has never seen before. "Umm, who are you?" The girl grinned and walked away.

"See ya! You'll be in trouble if you don't show up in Miss Orimura's class on time!" Ichika looked at the time: 8:40, and quickly got dressed as he dashed to his class.

* * *

 **Time: 8:43AM - Room 1-1**

Ichika did not arrive to Chifuyu's class on time as she stood there, arms folded like a boss threatening to fire an employee.

"So...is that your excuse for being late?" Chifuyu questioned. Ichika made an excuse to Chifuyu, clearly not in a mood. "Well, so basically, this unknown female student, and she umm, ehhh, gaahh..." Chifuyu had enough hearing Ichika's feeble attempt to ease her. "So you were late because you prioritized a conversation with some girl you had never met?"

"N-no, that's not it!" Chifuyu was at her limit as she turned towards Charlotte.

"Dunois! Show the class the Rapid Switch."

"The what?!" Ichika was bewildered when she obeyed her orders. Charlotte was in her IS less than 1 second. Ichika couldn't comprehend the sudden change.

"C-Charlotte?"

"Is there something wrong? Let us begin!" Charlotte opened fire on Ichika as punishment for being late to class.

"AAAUUUGGGHHH!"

* * *

 **9:00AM - School Assembly**

Students lined up with Ichika, worn out from his punishment as the intercom voiced over the assembly. "Ladies and gentlemen of the IS Academy, please standby for an address from your student council."

The girl walked towards the stage to make her announcement. "Well well, things have been hectic this year, so I haven't been able to properly introduce myself yet. My name is Tatenashi Sarashiki, the head of all students." Ichika's eyes widened when Tatenashi winked back at him.

"So, as the school festival coming up this month, I wish you all good luck, deciding what you want to do as a class." She folded her fan that read, "Deadline Coming Soon."

* * *

 **Time: 9:42AM - Room 1-1**

The students chatted about ideas they wanted for the school festival. After debating the ideas, Maya chose 5 ideas on the board, which were:

 **1\. Ichika Orimura's Host Club**

 **2\. Twister with Ichika Orimura**

 **3\. Pocky Play with Ichika Orimura**

 **4\. The King Game with Ichika Orimura**

 **5\. Dunk Tank with Ichika Orimura**

Ichika looked at the ideas, which he clearly does not like. "All the suggestions for our class entertainment are...rejected!"

"WHAT!?" The students uproar in unison, and Liu was surprised to see Ichika rejecting the ideas for the school festival.

"Are you stupid or what? Who would want to do stuff like that anyway?" Ichika demanded before looking at Liu. "And you! Was that your idea of me in a dunk tank?"

"Maybe, maybe not." Liu acted innocent as few girls giggled at his comment.

"I would! I'm sure I would!" said the student.

"Tsk..tsk..buu-what?!"

"She's right! It's your duty to please us!"

"But-but.."

"Ichika is our common property!" replied another student. The classmates agreed the comments, demanded the ideas not be rejected. Ichika stammered, looking at Maya for suggestions.

"Miss Yamada, you can't be serious to approve these ludicrous ideas, would you?"

"Well...I'd like the one with the Pocky." replied Maya. Ichika gave up, and turned back to his classmates.

"What I mean is I need something more normal, and no, Liu, we'll not have your 5th idea."

"How about the maid cafe?" Laura suggested. The classmates looked at Laura's new idea.

"I'm sure its going to be received well. Besides, an eatery will let you earn back the money you spend on it. Charlotte thought for a while, and agreed to the proposal.

"Good idea. Why don't we have Ichika to be either a butler or a chef?" Charlotte commented.

"Ichika? As a butler? That sounds great!" another student replied. Ichika's eyes widened again.

"It's decided we'll have the maid cafe!" said the student. The classmates clapped, and Ichika sighed. Liu may have not gotten what he wanted, but a maid cafe was enough to satisfy him.

* * *

 **Time: 10:37AM - Stadium**

Class two students in their Uchigane lined up together as they listen to Liu about long range combat. The others trained the rest of Class two students. "You guys know how to engage close combat, but when you face a long range fighter, that's a disadvantage."

Liu activated Venom Slug to show the classmates. "This here is Venom, .55 cal bullpup assault rifle, the jack of all trades."

Kiyoka Aikawa raised her hand. "A katana should be enough in a battle, and we don't have firearms like you."

"Maya and I provide them. Deflecting projectiles with a sword is possible, but those with experience can accomplish it easily. Let me show you what I mean."

Liu motioned Kiyoka in battle position. Liu fired three shots at Kiyoka that she deflect with ease. He fired few more shots where she had no struggle, but eventually, it was too much, and nearly lost her balance. "Refined close combat skills, or outsmart your foes are the ways to overcome long range fighters."

He laid out a row of firearms and targets. "Firing from the hip and spraying bullets all over the place can't guarantee your target a hit."

Liu hip fired at the targets, few bullets scored a hit.

"See what I mean? I sprayed bullets all over. Pick your targets by aiming wittingly down your sights."

The students took the firearms, aimed down their sights, and fired at the targets. It took them a while to get the hang of it, but a few minutes later, they got the concept.

"You want your targets to go down? Aim down your sights. I don't know who's into long range, but maybe some of you might find this handy."

While the students practice shooting, Chifuyu took over to teach the students. "Liu, you may proceed, I'll take it from here. Although you might want to observe how Tatenashi trains Ichika, Cecilia, and Charlotte, you might learn a thing or 2."

Laura walked towards Liu, still questioning his firearms credential skills. "You may have impressed the students, but that'll take more for me to respect you."

Liu stepped back, ready to reveal more. "Still not buying my abilities? It all started when my guys supplied a shipment of guns. We learn how to use them, modify it, but not in combat. An armored car heist was the idea, and the last time I saw my friends."

* * *

 **Flashback**

Liu and three robbers Hong, Zhang, and Xu in black boiler suits sat quietly in a Florett Silver metallic Audi A6. Xu was the oldest of all, a twenty two year old that guided them weapons, despite being teens. They were searching for an armored truck to rob, and can't fail. They rehearsed it numerous times to get it right. They readied their guns with various accessories. Liu checked his AKMSU with "jungle-style" taped magazines for functionality.

"Stay frosty, my friends." Xu said as they wore old woman silicone masks. The car parked behind the armored truck, and they jumped out, incapacitated the guards before they called backup. Liu dismantled the safe, securing the loot onto duffel bags.

Xu listened to the police scanner when he picked up a dispatch radioed in. His left fingertips touched the Ruger P90 concealed underneath the steering wheel.

"Officers in the area, a robbery in progress. Suspects may be armed and dangerous." Xu was little unnerved hearing the cops closing in soon. While the robbers were on lookout, they apparently didn't take notice of the driver who snuck out, and used Hong as a human shield.

"Get out of there! You and your friends are in big trouble." The guard commanded, pointing his Sig-Sauer pistol against Hong's spine.

Liu tried to reason the guard to stand down. "Let's not make this hasty, let him go, or else you'll get hurt."

The trigger-happy guard was beyond listening, overeager to take down Liu and his crew, despite the odds four against one.

"You put your gun away, you're mine, pr.." He was cut short by small burst of rounds to the chest when he refused to comply. Liu didn't want to kill the guard, but he was forced to do so when the guard's finger was on the trigger, intending to kill Hong.

While they leave the scene, Xu questioned the commotion Liu caused. "I heard gunshots, what happened?"

"Goddamn it, I fucking told you!" Zhang reprimanded at Liu.

"Fucking shut the hell up, alright?! His finger was on the trigger, almost pulled it!" said Liu, unhappy killing a guard. Hong scanned the area to make sure they weren't being tailed, clutching the HK G36C with red dot sight.

However, a police car around the block had its sirens on.

"Aww fuck, they must have heard it." Zhang said, cocking the QBZ-95 with reflex optic. Xu floored the accelerator, his right side wheels bounced over the curb, trying to evade the police car.

The overlapping screams from the sirens were closing the gap, causing Xu to take evasive maneuvers, nearly spun out from a sharp left turn. He bullied his way through traffic that didn't slow down the executive car

4 more police cars joined the chase, but that only made Liu and his crew agitated. A bus blocked their path, and Xu pulled a 180-degree powerslide, facing a battalion of police cars head on. Cops surrounded them with weapons drawn.

"Driver, throw your keys out and show me your hands!" the police officer ordered. People immediately abandoned their cars to flee for their lives. Xu looked at Hong and Zhang, then at the cops.

"Last warning, out of the vehicle, hands.." Hong leaned out of the window, released a large burst of weapon fire, spraying up the police cars with bullet holes and also destroying the engine blocks, sending the officers scrambling for cover. As cops return fire, Liu fired at the pursuing police, and some retreat to save their injured colleagues.

Zhang fired his QBZ-95 at the cops pinning down the crew, and hollered at Xu. "Get us out of here!"

Xu plowed through the parked cars, as they're in pursuit once again with additional police cars giving chase. Xu slammed the brakes to damage a police car, and sideswipe onto a parked car.

"Goodbye!" Hong taunted at the pursuing cops. The smaller police cars manage to put some damage, but its German design kept the car from dying out.

Running out of options, Xu came up a solution. "This is our last goodbye, we'll have to split up, along with the money. That'll give cops a harder lead to catch."

"Are you out of your mind? Cops won't give up that easily!" Hong argued.

"We have no choice, it's do or jail time!" Zhang protested.

They ran hard, but squadrons of police cars show up every step they took. Endured stress sends them in panic mode with no chance to think thoroughly. They took their loot, and Liu lay down suppressive fire to give his crew time to escape.

Suddenly, three identical black Mercedes Benz S550 pulled up with doors open. Hong, Zhang, Xu went inside, and drove off in separate ways. Liu threw an M26 Grenade at his pursuers, and the cops ran for cover as the Bouncing Betty exploded. Liu saw the glimpse of the fading taillights of the three Mercedes, and took off. They outran the cops at the cost of going separate ways for good.

* * *

 **Present Time**

"That was the last time I saw them, and that moment to use guns for real. I don't know if they survived the ordeal, but who knows?" Liu concluded his story while Laura thought for a while to believe it.

"Is that so? A person who never uses guns through the entire life until the day began."

"No joke, the first time I used a gun, it was like a roller coaster coming down that drop, and never stopping."

"Yet you didn't use it to inflict harm on others." Laura said.

"Yes, anyone can point a gun and shoot, but on a living organism, that's different."

* * *

A/N: 'Pok gai' and 'Jou tau' are Cantonese words. Pok gai has many meanings, primarily go to hell, or bastards while Jou tau means good night.


	5. Don't You Stop on Me

**Opening Song: Ice Cube - The Wrong Nigga to Fuck With**

 **Time: 5:54PM – Command Booth**

Tatenashi coordinated a school play called 'Cinderella' with Ichika as the lead role. The play has gone hectic because it turns out she set this up to the girls; whoever snatches Ichika's crown gets a privilege to be his roommate. Ichika was in a fiasco with the girls that are after him; on the other hand, Liu was ordered by Chifuyu on guard duty should anything occur during the play.

"Liu, I don't want anything happen to Ichika and the students at the festival. Fun time will have to be put aside." Chifuyu gave instructions to Liu on patrol duty. "This is an important job, you're on lookout until the festival subsides."

"Can you explain the reason for security? It's not like someone will barge in to steal something." questioned Liu.

Chifuyu slapped Liu with her clipboard. "Don't question the obvious. Pay attention to what I said earlier, and don't open your mouth again until I'm done."

"All right, all right, where do you want me to patrol?"

"Investigate the assembly, then the entire facility. Report back to me when you finish patrol the campus."

Liu nearly objected, but he rather go along to not get hit in the clipboard again. He was about to leave, but Chifuyu handed Liu a neatly packaged clothes. "This comes with a earpiece, so wear this, you might need them in the future."

He didn't understand the purpose of wearing the suit, but he begrudgingly accepts it. Liu was in a forest green business suit as he oversees the play that appeared normal with the audience sat still. He checked every classroom, cafeteria, bathroom and the locker room, no signs of danger. Still, Liu felt like the tight security was not a good idea for a mere school play. He did not enjoy walking the entire campus because his black dress shoes made his feet tiring, and had to go back up to return.

"Orimura-sensei, no signs of danger on the campus, I double checked to be sure." said Liu on the earpiece.

"Very well then, return and assist Maya with the security monitors." Liu groaned that he was not in the clear to take a break. While the play settled down for a while, Chifuyu sensed something's not right because Ichika was nowhere to be found in the play.

 **Time: 6:00PM - Locker Room**

Ichika came face to face with a woman in a dark brown business suit, not knowing what's going to happen.

"Thanks for saving me back there." said Ichika, adjusting his crown.

The woman turned around and said, "Yeah, but I thought I should use this opportunity to take your Byakushiki away from you."

"Heh?" Ichika was dumbstruck of the woman's demand.

Her formal smile quickly changed into an evil grin. "I said, JUST GIVE IT TO ME ALREADY!" she kicked him, and smirked.

"So, w-who are you really?"

"Who am I, you ask? A mysterious beauty disguised as…a corporate business woman!" Her back bulged that revealed spider legs, each having blade tips.

Ichika raised his right arm to activate Byakushiki, materializing the exo-skeleton armor.

"I've been waiting for so long for you to SUMMON THAT!" Her long narrow eyes appear disoriented because of its evil aura. Like a predator ready to pounce, the tips of the legs revealed cannons to fire, and Ichika quickly dodged.

"Ooh, not too shabby!" said the woman, grinning sadistically.

"Obviously, you're not , so what's going on?"

"Haha, I called myself Makagami Ayako as an alias because that's not my real name!" Her clothes tore apart before a bright light illuminated the locker room. An ominous black, yellow 8-legged spider armor appeared that doubled the size of Byakushiki.

"An IS?" Ichika couldn't believe seeing an IS that menacing.

"That's right, the name is Arachne! You'll find its name venomous rather…potent." Ichika was not going to get beaten by Arachne, and took a battle stance.

"Here's a sample!" She raised her arms and fired lasers blindly, taking pleasure of the mindless destruction. Ichika dodged the projectiles whizzed past him.

"Damn…who are you?" Ichika demanded.

"What?! Don't you know? You could say I'm from an evil organization."

"You're kidding!"

Liu was about to return back to the assembly, but he heard the commotion in the locker room. He instinctively materialized Sockdolager, taking a cover behind a wall.

"Liu to Chifuyu! A fight broke out north side of the locker room! Multiple gunshot fire."

Chifuyu saw the fight unfold on the security monitor with Ichika defending his life.

"Backup Ichika and neutralize that IS right away!" Chifuyu commanded.

Liu ran towards the locker room, his Rattler materialized into his left hand, and fired one-handed. It caught the attention of Arachne, and unleashed a barrage of lasers in retaliation.

"Are you playing hero? Get out of here before I kill you!" said the woman.

"I find you ugly as hell whatever that thing is." Liu pointed out. Undeterred from the insult, she leaped onto a wall, hugging its cornered ledges.

She laid her attention towards Ichika. "What if I told you that I'm lady Autumn from the evil organization, Phantom Task. Does that ring a bell?"

Hearing the words Autumn, and Phantom Task send a cold chill down Liu's spine.

"Don't tell me you're working with those shitheads in suits!" said Liu in disbelief.

"Phantom Task?" Ichika wondered.

"Answer me this question, who is your boss?" Liu demanded at the woman.

"That doesn't matter to you, but why don't you give him a background of me and Phantom Task."

"Autumn…is an agent of the Phantom Task, an underground organization not to mess with. They're made to steal IS from all over the world, armed with deadly IS pilots to kill others as weapons of mass-destruction." Liu felt uncomfortable explaining Phantom Task to Ichika.

"Good boy! As a reward, you'll get to witness me sending this brat to hell, that is, if you're still standing!" She fired a rain of lasers as they find cover.

Ichika charged with an overhead swing, but Autumn blocked the attack easily. Ichika exchanged blows with Autumn as the two collided. Liu stands on his ground to give support fire while Ichika tries to break her defense. Its 8 legs allowed Autumn block every attack without breaking a sweat.

 _She's got too many arms, and her armor's too thick._ Ichika came up an idea to destroy her line of defense.

"Flank from the right side, don't give her room to breathe!" Ichika yelled out to Liu. He flanked at her from the side that took some hits.

"You little-!" The distraction Liu provided gave Ichika time to slice Autumn's arm blade into pieces.

"What the-?!" Liu didn't stop firing at Autumn in his sight, and Ichika went on the offensive.

"Yeah, there's no stopping now!" said Ichika, giving his best to wear her down, but Autumn counterattacked with an overhead kick. She materialized an AK-style bullpup rifle, and shot live rounds at Liu. Because he was out of cover, he took some damage. Few bullets scored severe hits, and Liu staggered to find cover. Autumn pinned Ichika down, pointing her rifle at his forehead.

"Huh! You really thought you could take me on, eh?" Her shots pierced through his armor, and the tremendous impact spread to his body, dangerously depleting his energy shield.

"Oh no, this can't go on!" His thrust boosters ignited, reeling her back, and attack. His strikes only pushed her back, but sustain some damage.

"Not bad, you little brat!" said Autumn sarcastically.

"Shut up!" Ichika had enough of Autumn's sarcasm.

"Heh, that was kind of getting in too close." Autumn fired shots again that made Ichika find cover.

 **Time: 6:02PM – Command Booth**

"Chifuyu! There's an unidentified IS detected in the locker room!" Maya said, watching Arachne attacking Ichika and Liu. Chifuyu folded her arms, thinking of a solution. "I knew they were going to attack from the day of the school festival, but how could there be just one?"

Maya waited for Chifuyu's further orders to take action.

"Maya, scan for enemy backup, order all general students to evacuate."

 **Time: 6:05PM - Assembly**

Out of the bloom, Laura, Charlotte, Houki, Cecilia and Rin stood in the middle of the wrecked play, wondering where Ichika went.

"Come on, where the heck could Ichika had gone?" said Rin.

"Well, it's hard to say, but given that he runs like a gazelle, and we're hyenas."

"Hmph, this is because you had tried to come between me and my bride."

"Laura's right, Charlotte, none of this would happen if you hadn't interfered!" Cecilia scolded at Charlotte.

"For sure, blame the French." A siren blared over the intercom.

"Attention, an unknown IS detected in the locker room is currently engaging battle with Byakushiki and Sockdolager. All students with personal IS are ordered to deploy. Standby for orders."

They materialized their personal IS in less than 2 seconds while waiting further directions.

"Alcott and Huang, you're on patrol." Rin and Cecilia flew towards the sky to patrol.

"Shinonono, Dunois, Bodewig, support Orimura and Liu. Get down to the locker room on the double!"

 **Time: 6:07PM – Locker Room**

Liu and Ichika were having a hard time dealing with Autumn that overpowered them.

"This crackhead's out of her rocker!" Liu said, crouching. "How are we going to take down that overgrown bug?"

"Follow my lead, Liu!" Ichika ventured, zigzagging around the room. Their perfect formation managed them to slip through the bullets like a shark cutting through water.

"You little brats, stay still!" She tried to shoot them, but the bullets damaged the lighting systems, and the locker room blacked out, leaving an aura blue dimly lit the floor. Eventually, her rifle ran out of bullets, much to her confusion.

This gave them a surprise attack Autumn can't escape.

"I got the front, you take the back!" Ichika commanded. Liu positioned to shoot her in the back.

"Ignition Boost!"

"Got you now!" What it looks like they got her, Autumn wanted them to land for her trap. She grinned, and sprouted spider-silk that wrapped Ichika in his tracks.

"Fucking shit!" Liu saw Ichika tied up, and tried to retaliate. However, Autumn slams his face with a devastating blow, strong enough to send him flying outside of the room, and crash-landed.

"That chump gave me a headache, but now he's out of the picture, my prey is ready to be served." Autumn said, glancing at the collateral damages she caused, ignoring Liu's major injuries inflicted.

"Liu!" Ichika yelled out to Liu, but no response.

"Aww, too bad he's permanently _grounded,_ you're just a brat after all, and you came at me head on!" Autumn wrapped her hands to make a spider web, and Ichika was wrapped like a cocoon. He tried to break free, but it didn't do anything.

Autumn took in pleasure watching him squirm in her traps. "Hahahaha! This is a piece of cake! But that's what you get for underestimating the spider's web." Ichika gritted his teeth in anger that Liu was knocked out of the room, nowhere to be found.

"Finally, it's time to get this party started!" Autumn said, revealing a six-legged octopus-like device, and shrunk as it attached onto his body.

"Now it's the time to take your Byakushiki away." A surge of energy electrified his body.

"GYAAAAHHHH!" Ichika screamed from the insensible pain ripped through his body like he was strapped to an electric chair.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHA! I'll tell you something else while we're here! We're the ones who kidnapped you during the second Monde Grosso round, Phantom Task." Autumn mocked at Ichika's pain with her smile that angered him more.

"D-damn you.." Another dose of energy shocked his body, inflicting more pain.

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!" Autumn methodically tortured Ichika, nearly succeeding to steal Byakushiki.

"Ok, your usefulness has been expired, so I'll just kill you right now!"

A charming sound echoed the room that didn't match the current atmosphere with Autumn close to end Ichika's life. It was Tatenashi standing on the rubble, casually holding her fan in her right hand.

"Oh my, that would be a problem because Ichika happens to be my favorite."

"Where the hell did you come from? I thought all the systems were locked down." Autumn turned around, and attacked Tatenashi.

"Tatenashi.." Ichika saw her standing proudly as if she wasn't afraid of being killed for interfering.

"I'm the IS Academy's Student Council President, and I shall conduct this accordingly."

Autumn wastes no time to hear another word from Tatenashi, and pierced through her body.

"TATENASHI!" Ichika watched in horror. Something wasn't right because she did not flinch.

"What's going on, you didn't react at all?" Autumn questioned, and "Tatenashi" melted into water in Autumn's surprise.

"Water?!"

"You figured it out, that was a decoy I made from water." Tatenashi giggled in her IS, and strikes Autumn with her Heavy Rain lance.

"Liu is missing out, it appears he underestimated your mobility, and got blasted there." Tatenashi pointed at the fractured walls.

"Who the fuck are you?"

"My name is Tatenashi Sarashiki, and this is my IS called the Mysterious Lady, remember the name, beyotch!" Water slowly spiraled on Heavy Rain that turned into a circular motion resembling a windbreaker.

"I'm going to kill you…RIGHT NOW!" Autumn fired lasers at Tatenashi, but the water veil blocked the projectiles, nullifying them.

"This isn't normal water, what is this?"

"Just found out? My water is quite unique because nanobots control it that's being transmitted to IS energy, pretty sweet, huh?" Tatenashi proudly explained the water.

"Who the hell cares?!" Autumn yelled, materializing twin daggers to stab her only to be deflected by Tatenashi. Their weapons grinded, sparks emitted, and Tatenashi revealed her triumph card.

"Do you feel hot in here?" Tatenashi smiled.

"What?"

"I don't mean just the temperature, I mean the heat index."

"What are you talking about…?"

"As in, the humidity level makes the temperature feel hotter, and mist can penetrate through your armor."

"!" Autumn's eyes widened when thick mist covered the area, leaving her shocked.

"That's the expression I was looking for! The moment when your plan is crumbled into ashes." Tatenashi grinned, but more like a Grim Reaper intended to steal a soul.

 **BOOM!** Tatenashi snapped her finger, and the next moment, multiple explosions covered Autumn. The joints paralyzed Autumn, rendering her vulnerable.

"I'm still standing!" Autumn shouted.

"Not for long, finish her off, Ichika." Tatenashi gave an approval nod to Ichika as he maximized his Yukihara Nagata and slammed Autumn through the wall.

"After her, Ichika!" They pursue Autumn, crippling away from her pursuers.

 **Time: 6:07PM - Academy Grounds**

Liu was unconscious from Autumn's knockout blow, but he recovered only to find out the rubble blocked the entire locker room. His earpiece received a message from Chifuyu.

"What's the status report?"

"Major damage on the grounds, Autumn tried to steal Byakushiki from Ichika, and knocked me out cold. I'm going back in to save him." Liu tried to dig back through the locker room, but Autumn came crashing through the rubble, struggling to get away.

"Correction, Chifuyu, she's being chased by Ichika and Tatenashi." Liu fires, but his Rattler ran out of bullets.

"I'm not through with you!" Liu materialized his knife and lunges in to attack, but she does flurry of stabs to keep him at bay.

"You should have been dead by now." Autumn snarled, firing beams of lasers. Liu leaped far back to materialize Venom Slug and fires back. They did not take cover to hit their mark, but Autumn's laser shot Liu in the right shin.

Liu lost his balance, but steadies his aim to fire at Autumn. She evaded the attack, and punched him towards the tower prop. He tried to get back up, but his energy shield depleted.

"I don't have time for you." Autumn scoffed, walking away until an AIC confined her movements.

"There shall be no escape for you." Laura projected the AIC around Autumn.

Charlotte and Houki pointed their weapons, but purple drones blasted lasers upon them. A purple, butterfly-like enemy IS descended to rescue Autumn, not before slicing the AIC like butter. Laura could not take her eyes off from a simple swipe that destroyed her AIC.

"Is that the best you got, German Uber Soldier?" the pilot questioned Laura.

"Damn you…how did you know that?" Laura asked the pilot, but she didn't answer her question until she received a message.

"Yes, Squall, understood." The pilot turned towards Autumn.

"I'm here to get you, Autumn."

"Damn you, you will address me with respect I deserve." Autumn did not like the presence of the pilot because she didn't give her respect.

"There's too many combat ready units, we'll have to fall back." They take off, not before Autumn took her IS Core, and set Arachne self-destruct towards Charlotte, Laura, and Houki.

"EVERYONE! GET OUT!" Ichika storms in as Arachne exploded. Luckily, Tatenashi had water veil that protected the explosion. Their personal IS de-materialized, but appear fine without injuries.

Cecilia and Rin help Liu back to his feet. "Did they get away?" Liu said.

"Yeah they did, are you okay?"

"A little bit, fucking psycho bitch got me, but you should thank Ichika and Tatenashi that saved us all."

They regroup to take a rest from the fight as Chifuyu and Maya examined the stolen Infinite Stratos that attempted to steal Byakushiki.

"They extracted the core from the Arachne IS and detonated," Maya said, looking at the specs on Arachne and Silent Zephyrus. "The other one appeared to be Silent Zephyrus, or Blue Tears II, which was stolen from Britain."

Chifuyu folded her arms to recollect the events occurred at IS Academy. "This was the work of Phantom Task, correct?"

"Yes, their target appeared to be Byakushiki, especially since there's so much that we don't understand about Byakushiki as well."

"Right, then that's why I had Sarashiki train and safeguard Orimura, but..."

"I know, you were worried the whole time," Maya smiled, knowing Chifuyu had a good reason to have Ichika trained by Tatenashi. "And wishing you could take your place, right, ma'am?"

"Don't be ridiculous! And anyway, it's Sarashiki's job," said Chifuyu, frowning. "However, I need to keep an eye out on Liu as well. He told me something's bothering him that won't go away, and I have a bad feeling about it."

"Who could it be, ma'am?"

"Three Dragons."

Maya was puzzled of the unfamiliar name. "I'm sorry, who?"

"Three Dragons, also known as Guo Kwong-yiu," said Chifuyu. "A vicious teen associated with Righteousness Union. He and Liu have a bad relationship over many disputes, but fighting over an IS took the cake."

"I heard about Righteousness Union when they tried to sell an IS to Tabane, and she sent them to a hospital."

Still the poker face. "Somehow, Liu was able to operate an IS. Three Dragons saw the opportunity to get it whatever it takes. Not too long ago, he teamed up with an IS pilot named Kaori Saito."

"Who is Kaori Saito, and how did they know each other?"

"Three Dragons unexpectedly bumped into Kaori at a restaurant. They shared mutual interests of IS, breaking the rules, and that's how he became Kaori's handler. They committed high profile heists for profit and most of all, weapons."

Maya frowned. "Three Dragons can't pilot an IS, but he has committed heinous crimes with his partner! He must be stopped right away!"

"Three Dragons has extensive connections that makes him a threat, and I have a bad feeling what they're going to do next."

* * *

 **10:33 PM – Phantom Task Hideout**

Autumn was beyond pissed off that she failed to steal Byakushiki, and the pilot helped her, which she didn't take it kindly.

"I didn't want your help, you need to stay out of my way!" Autumn grabbed the pilot's collar, and shoved her back against the window. "Stop interfering with my life!" The pilot kept her mouth shut when she indirectly embarrassed her.

"Say something, you stinking little bitch!" Again, the pilot remained defiant, and responded with a smirk.

"Damn you…!" Autumn's boiling point exploded, and brandished her knife.

"Put it down, Autumn." said Squall in her bathing robe. "You're making too much noise."

"Ahh, Squall!" Autumn blushed like a schoolgirl hearing her soothing voice.

"You need to calm down, it ruins your beautiful face." The pilot walked away to head to her room.

 _This is ridiculous…it's just stupid._ The pilot wanted out of the nonsense.

"M, I want you to return Silent Zephyrs to maintenance when you get back." Squall instructed. "It obviously needs some adjustments."

"Yes, ma'am."

Squall pulled out her iPhone 6 to make an important call.

"You're not going to enjoy hearing the bad news, the mission was a failure."

M laid on her bed, staring at the ceiling. "Soon, very soon…I will begin to get my vengeance." M opened her locket that showed a picture of Chifuyu. "Yes, then we shall finally meet."

M smiled, having meticulous thoughts to accomplish her goals.

* * *

 **Time: 10:34PM – City Streets**

A Marino Blue BMW M6 Gran Coupe cruised down the road with Three Dragons in the passenger seat.

"Tsk…the IS Academy students managed to repel Autumn, despite her effort. If it's a war they want, then we'll give it to them."

"Meet me in person to talk further about the partnership, Squall out."

Shen minded her own business to speak only when necessary, her eyes focused on driving. Three Dragons gazed at the window filled with luminous city lights before he turned his attention at Shen.

"Shen, set course to Autumn's residence."

"Yes, Three Dragons." The grand tourer car roared its twin-turbo V8 that echoed through the night.


	6. Dusk of a Scorching Twilight

**Opening song: E-40 - On One Ft. AD**

 **Time: 10:44PM – Parking Garage**

There were numerous reports of stolen IS linked to Phantom Task's robberies. Rin and Liu were on an assignment to extract information from an IS pilot named Kaori Saito. If the evidence was solid enough that Kaori has connections with Phantom Task, she would be the leader of the recent IS robberies. Three Dragons was Kaori's handler that gave her objectives to complete.

They were in their personal IS, walking down the aisle filled with expensive luxury cars. The environment was out of the ordinary because no cheap cars would be allowed to enter. Guards stood at the entrance to lookout for unwanted visitors, but Rin and Liu slip through by posing as maintenance assistants for Kaori.

"155cm, long brown hair, 17 years of age, model size body is what we're looking for," Rin described Kaori's appearance. "No weapons, this should be enough to make her compliant."

Liu said, "If you say so, but can you keep your cool from not getting distracted from her looks?"

"Just keep your eyes forwards, but don't make me catch you eyeing on her bust."

"Whatever since you're hella sensitive about chest size."

They searched every floor littered with cars, but no appearance of Kaori. 6 floors covered the garage big enough to cover the size of a soccer field. Sweat trickled down their temple to avoid being caught by the guards that are now inspecting the garage. Liu thought the mission would be a piece of cake, but he got the memo wrong.

Time was running out, and they walked fast, gripping their weapons. The initial plan was to approach subtle, but it became clear they're going to attack blazing to expose Kaori.

"Well," he said. "Where the hell is she? I'm close to tear this garage apart." Liu readied his Venom Slug.

Rin charged her Ryuhou, itching to destroy the garage. "If she's hiding, then I hope she doesn't…" She fired invisible shockwaves at the row of cars destroyed instantly. "MIND ABOUT HER CAR!" She became enraged when Kaori did not appear, and destroyed the defense systems that made up the garage.

Liu lost his temper and fired his Venom Slug at the cars that didn't stand a chance from the huge calibers. Fragments scattered all over the place as some burst into flames. They inadvertently triggered the car alarms that shriek nonstop. No matter what they did to silence it, the alarms wouldn't die. To add insult to injury, Kaori's car was far from their reach.

"Urg…turn it off!" Liu yelled. Their tempers got the best of them that they create havoc on the garage, ignoring the fact guards heard the commotion.

"What the-?!" the guard loaded his RPD.

"Those better not be the assistants!" They rushed to the wrecked floor and fire at them. Unimpressed with the small resistance, Liu answered back with torrent of firepower that made them scramble. Rin decimated tremendous damage to the garage while Liu kept the guards at bay by covering fire. Guards were pinned down from the overwhelming power that made them difficult to fight back.

"I need help on the fifth floor!" said the guard on his walkie-talkie.

"Liu, there's backup storming in, cut them off." Rin said.

Reinforcements were on the way as he flew outside, and knocked down pillar beams dangling from a crane that stopped them in their tracks. A guard aimed an anti-IS weapon at Rin and fired.

"Watch your back, they got heavy artillery!" Liu warned Rin, and narrowly dodged the projectile. Liu fired near the guards to discourage them from fighting again, and dashed inside to assist Rin.

With their backs turned, the elevator opened, and Kaori was caught by surprise of the brawl. She quickly materialized her IS named Phoenix, and without warning, fired an incendiary missile from her shoulder. The propelling grenade exploded on impact that intensified the fire, nearly killed her guards. The impact left a crater, but Kaori couldn't care less if her guards or "assistants" were caught within the radius of the explosion.

Smoke rose from the smoldering remains of the hole, and fire kindled when Kaori walked through. Her IS suit revealed more skin compared to other IS pilot suits. Orange and yellow color armor glowed from the reactive fire. Talons emerged from her feet as wings sprouted out her back, spitting chunks of fire. No nationality or ID code was shown, clear signs of a Phantom Task agent.

"That's a way to greet us." Liu pointed at Kaori.

"She's not looking to talk either, but we'll make her." Rin withdrew Souten Gagetsu in double-bladed form and charged. Kaori tried to reload, but Rin was too fast for her, and pulled out a flaming chain to fight back. Each stroke left a sizzling burn every time Rin deflected the whip. Rin's Ryuhou fired compressed space bullets as Kaori avoided the first bullet. However, the second bullet scored a direct hit, but not enough to weaken her.

The fiery chain shined intensively like a solar flare that could burn anything without contact. Kaori swung overhead to extended greater lengths, and fire veiled around her like a shield.

"Were you holding back the entire time?"

Rin could not figure out Kaori's ability. She remained silent, and launched another round. Rin sliced the speeding missile, and erupted that could have burned her. However, Kaori was not done, and swung horizontally. Rin blocked the sweep as Liu fired, but the fire veil torched his projectiles as if it had a mind of its own. Kaori's cool irritated Rin and Liu every time she smirked.

"I don't remember seeing fire that moves by itself." Liu pointed out.

"Or a pyromaniac that's hard to extinguish." Rin replied. Kaori swung five-times that swept most of the ruined floor. They dodged her frenzy attack, but their energy shields slowly dropped from the chain's residue flames. Kaori whipped frantically at the cost of leaving her upper body vulnerable from its wide attacks.

Liu's suppressive fire didn't completely break Kaori's firewall, but a lucky shot penetrated her defense, much to her surprise. Rin saw the chance, and slashed Kaori in the chest. Her firewall still grew strong, but her upper body was not fully protected, and Liu fired hail of bullets rained onto Kaori until her fire dissipated.

"Hold your fire!" Rin commanded as they slowly approached Kaori standing with her head down. Kaori's eyes glowed fierce golden filled with rage, and her cool has been dissolved.

In her last ditch attempt to kill Rin and Liu, Kaori fired her remaining missile with greater force. Traveling twice its speed like a comet, it detonated, and showered fireballs. Soon enough, the fire spread out of control, and ignited multiple explosions that turned the upper lot into an inferno pit.

Despite her frantic attacks, Kaori's guards were lucky from not getting scorched, and their emergency exits somehow remained intact.

"Kaori, we're on your side, watch where you're attacking!" a guard pleaded.

"It's no use, Kaori can't recognize us," Fire roused that manifested as an enormous version of a Phoenix, "She can't be stopped until someone is turned into…non existent." Kaori takes pleasure to burn hostiles until they turn into dust, and the hell-like environment suited her cold-blooded personality. Her guards retreat to let her finish the job, knowing well Kaori will kill anything in her path.

Like a real life Phoenix rose from the ashes, she flew up and sprayed large streams of fireballs. Rin and Liu pursue Kaori as they charge. Flying in different directions, Liu fired relentlessly while Rin slice-and-dice her way through the flaming shower. Kaori weaved through Liu's shots and Rin's swings and volleyed endless fire attacks.

"There's no way in hell she can generate that kind of power." Liu gasped, barely dodging a fusillade of fireballs.

"This is happening again, it's just like Silver Gospel." Rin muttered.

"You don't mean..."

"Yeah that one, the fire bird is about to blow!" Kaori extended its wings and fired a barrage of meteors. Rin and rushed aggressively into the burning downpour, and Kaori realized she can't use the same attack because the meteors barely hit Rin and Liu. She resorted to her chain as fire slowly formed.

"No you don't! I'm not going to fall for that again." Liu fired at Kaori before her fire veil reached halfway, and faded away. Kaori's energy shield depleted, but she didn't care and swung at Liu as Rin deflected the attack, stumbling back.

"Your attacks are too wide and predictable." Rin disarmed her to let Liu do the finishing blow. He aimed and fired a single shot that knocked her down to the ground. Kaori tried to spark more fire, but her weapon power was empty.

Rin pointed her scimitars at Kaori's nose to interrogate.

"You made me and Liu mad today, Kaori," Rin told her, "really mad. Were you behind the IS robberies you plan out?"

Kaori did not say a word that ticked off Rin, and charged her Ryuhou.

"Let me rephrase that again, why did you go around to steal IS?"

"Phantom Task." Kaori leaped back and hurled a flashbang. The blinding flash of light disoriented Rin and Liu's senses as Kaori dashed to the lower lot. Kaori knew her IS was out of power as she deactivated Phoenix, and went to her getaway car, a Giallo Maggio Lamborghini Aventador LP720-4 . The lower lot was unusually scatheless from the fire.

By the time Rin and Liu regain their senses when they heard the rambunctious Lamborghini making its way to the exit. They blocked off the path before Kaori could escape. Liu quickly took a picture of Kaori's Aventador to be used as evidence.

"You can't outrun our IS with that supercar," Liu said. "don't make me destroy your precious $548,000 toy."

Kaori revved her V12 engine repeatedly that irritated Rin's eardrums with intentions to kill her.

"That's it, time to say goodbye!"

Before Rin could fire Ryuhou, Kaori had another trick up her sleeves. She revealed a control stick and pressed the button that detonated a building behind them. The building collapsed like a house of cards as the explosion knocked them off balance. Huge debris covered them while Kaori watch them in amuse as they grappled to get up.

"Goddamn it, how many bags of surprise does she have?"

Kaori waved out her FN Five–seveN as she cambered a round, and aimed gangster style. She fired incessant, and Rin and Liu were out of cover. They may have their IS, but its high-velocity cartridge pierced their energy shields and took small damages.

"We're getting hit!" Rin shouted. "Our IS should have protect us from small firearms!"

"No! Kaori must have anti IS rounds. Lay down on the floor!"

Bullets flickered pass their heads until 20 rounds were depleted. When Rin and Liu finally got back up, the yellow blur drove into the distance. "Get back here!" Liu tried to chase Kaori, but seconds later, a fleet of emergency services were on the way.

"We can't let them find out that we're representative contenders."

"Not after what Kaori had tried to kill us repeatedly."

Rin retrieved a small notebook the guard accidentally left after the retreat. Liu attempted to give chase, but she held him back and showed the notes revealed a list of IS robberies planned out.

"We already got the evidence, let's beat it!"

Liu hesitated briefly, but the sirens were closing in that convinced him to follow Rin. Firefighters douse the raging fire, emergency medical teams escort civilians to safety, and police officers investigate the ruined parking garage. They were too late because Kaori's guards took the remaining proof linked to Phantom Task, and Rin and Liu retrieved the last evidence. With no verification Phantom Task blew up half of the garage, they labeled it natural cause.

* * *

 **Time: 11:04AM - Rin's Dorm**

After surviving Kaori's wrath, Liu and Rin took a rest before they scrolled through the notebook with criminal activities written all over. He highlight Phantom Task's various missions under the control of Kaori that caught his attention, but it revealed more than just robberies:

 **\- Raid an IS Prototype at Japan: Requirements: 4 people for crowd control, demolition, getaway driver, and IS pilot. Reward: Undisclosed amount of cash.**

 **\- Acquire modified IS weapons. Leave no witness that may interfere activity. Reward: Supply of weapons from firearms and IS.**

 **\- Steal at least one IS, and kill the pilot as proof. Reward: Acceptance to Phantom Task.**

"Kaori is one of a kind, she doesn't just rob IS, in fact, there's illegal arms smuggling, and even murder for IS."

"Well, we kind of stopped her, but one thing for sure is we're alive."

"Chifuyu is going to love this when we have this notebook." Liu heard a knock on the door as Ichika and Charlotte enter. "How did the mission go?"

Rin got out of her bed to chime in.

"How should I put it this way? Oh yeah, me and Liu fought a Phoenix bitch that tried to roast our asses into Peking ducks!"

"We were testing out IS from other countries until it attacked us, but we got away."

"Rin, we have to go." Rin and Liu left the bedroom, but Charlotte want to know where they were going.

"Where are you two going?"

"Found Phantom Task evidence, it's best you bring the others."

Kaori may have gotten away, but a slip up may got them under the microscope. Phantom Task is still a force to be recognized because their agents are highly skilled IS pilots to intentionally wreck havoc. Even non IS pilots are not to underestimate thanks to military training that boost their combat skills. Chifuyu examined the notebook as Liu, Ichika and the gang waited for results. Liu handed the picture of Kaori's personal Lamborghini to Chifuyu, and she didn't appeared surprised.

"My instincts were correct," said Chifuyu, attaching evidence onto her clipboard. "Kaori has ties with Phantom Task, but not an agent. There are three things I want to show you."

Cecilia chimed in. "What is it, Orimura-sensei?"

Chifuyu revealed pictures of Kaori, her Lamborghini and Three Dragons, and Cecilia was dumbfounded seeing them. "How can a 17 year old teenage girl acquire half a million car as her main transportation?"

"I suspect she may have worked with that guy you showed us," Laura pointed out. "Liu, could those two be..."

"Yeah, it's Kaori Saito and Three Dragons," said Liu, subduing his anger. "Cocksucker won't stop to steal Sockdolager just like Phantom Task desired Byakushiki. Three Dragons is Kaori's handler, he must have treated her well like a obedient dog, hence the special edition Italian supercar."

Cecilia didn't understand why Kaori would drive something so flashy at a young age. Even though Cecilia came from a rich family background, she would not flaunt expensive items. Ichika was astonished of Liu's personal problem, which he can slightly relate to. The threat of Phantom Task, Kaori's possible recruit into the dangerous organization will be hard to contain the situation.

"Guo 'Three Dragons' Kwong-yiu has his hands full on IS equipment," said Chifuyu. "Here's a question, do you think he used Kaori to achieve his goals?"

They look at each other if anyone had the right answer, but no one spoke up. Chifuyu looked around like they lost their thoughts. "Kiddies, I have it here."

Chifuyu exposed more pictures of Three Dragons and Kaori's shady business dealings, heists committed, and stolen IS equipment. "As you can see, Kaori's IS, Phoenix has illegally modified weapons made intention to kill people. Phoenix was stolen from Japan three months ago."

Laura nodded at the pictures, pulling out two pictures hanging out the clipboard, and the girls were nauseous at the graphics. Charlotte held her mouth, nearly throwing up. "Is this why you brought us here?"

"Kaori is someone you don't want to cross paths with." Chifuyu pointed the mangled arms of the tortured IS pilot and technician. Bones jutted out distorted, flesh exposed, torn fingernails, and skins ripped apart.

"If you thought that was bad enough, Kaori torched them alive when they did not cooperate to work with them." Chifuyu shook her head. "The results were gruesome; their bodies were charred into overcooked Kobe beef until they were barely recognizable."

They muttered among each other of two dangerous enemies ever next to the Silver Gospel and Phantom Task. Liu stared at the picture Three Dragons that he waited so long to kill him. Chifuyu noticed Liu's behavior, and put her clipboard away.

"That is all, you may leave. Liu, have some fresh air, you don't want to call in sick for catching a flu."

Chifuyu cryptically tell Liu to put aside his vendettas because in IS Academy, he does not belong to an organization or associates. In reality, Liu is still with Righteousness Union. On the other hand, Charlotte kept an eye out on Ichika by herself since his Byakushiki failed to open due to an error. This may prove to be difficult because her panties mysteriously disappeared.


	7. Into The Public Eye

**Opening song: Mistah F.A.B. - The Chill Ft. Curren$y, ScHoolboy Q**

 **Time: 10:50PM – Phantom Task Hideout**

The BMW came to a stop as Shen opened the door for Three Dragons. They made their way to the top floor, and his face was finally revealed from residing in the dark for decades. He was 17 years old, medium height with a pompadour, dark red eyes, and a trained body. He wore a white v-neck that covered numerous tattoos on his torsos, denim jeans, and Supra Vaider black-white high top sneakers.

On the top floor living room, Squall, Kaori, and Autumn waited for him. Squall and Three Dragons sat down on the couch; two glasses of ice and a Jack Daniels whiskey were on the middle of the table.

"Let's begin the negotiation, Squall." Autumn was annoyed that some outsider dared to step foot into the lairs of Phantom Task. It irked her even more when Three Dragons helped himself with alcohol without asking.

"Yes, but first things first, aren't you a bit too young to drink?" Squall questioned.

"I already started drinking back then, but please, this should not affect our conversation."

"Very well then. Your client, Kaori had a job interview. Her objective was to transport the stolen IS, but ran afoul with 'assistants' last night at the parking garage."

"Hmm? Kaori doesn't have assistants, there must be a mistake."

"Not quite. According to her guard, he saw two Chinese individuals, a boy and girl teenagers with personal IS that claimed to be Kaori's assistants." Three Dragons gulped the whiskey down while Autumn clenched her fist at his presence. Kaori gritted her teeth when Squall talked about her objective.

"Chinese teenagers, you don't mean…Liu King-Sang and Lingyin Huang?" said Three Dragons.

"I don't know who they are, friends of yours?"

"Liu and I go way back that was rather unpleasant, but Lingyin, not so much." Three Dragons replied and let Squall talk.

"Kaori, do you have the IS?" Kaori threw the stolen IS of a garter belt in standby mode.

"How about the pilot, is she dead?" Kaori showed a picture of the dead IS pilot, but Squall was not done grilling her.

"Good. Can you explain why Liu and Lingyin attacked you?"

"They knew I was affiliated with Phantom Task." Kaori snarled as Squall casually sipped whiskey.

"May I remind you Three Dragons took an effort to keep you under the radar from your mishap? Not a good start for impression in an interview." Kaori did not want to talk more of the incident until Three Dragons chimed in.

"Not her fault Kaori was a target because it seems Liu and Lingyin already knew who she was." Three Dragons poured another drink.

"Even if Kaori revealed herself, it wouldn't make any difference. What matters the most is she got the job complete. In fact, she took over an IS factory to manufacture IS arsenals beyond its capabilities." Three Dragons looked at Kaori, and she nodded her confirmation.

"Is that so? Either way, it will take more than that to convince me to let Kaori join my side." Squall snapped her finger at Autumn to get another Jack Daniels. Autumn poured a drink for Squall and Three Dragons while the negotiation continues.

"There's bound to be failures. For example, when the Byakushiki theft did not go through as planned. We can't pin all the blame on Autumn," said Three Dragons, "clearly, we underestimated the capability of the IS Academy. Have Kaori on your side, she is valuable to Phantom Task with her talent, and perhaps, learn the mistakes among each other." Three Dragons was confident his proposal would impress Squall. However, when he mentioned Autumn, she had a different idea.

"Oh I'm sorry, what was that you just said?" Autumn pointed her Tokarev TT-33 at Three Dragons, in response; Shen wielded her H&K USP45. A Mexican standoff broke off the negotiation with their fingers on the triggers. Squall and Three Dragons were unfazed from the standoff.

Squall raised her hand at Autumn to stand down as Three Dragons lowered Shen's pistol down.

"The factory is yours to use anytime. The workers now serve under Kaori that will obey orders from Phantom Task, no matter how tedious the tasks might be." Squall closed her eyes to think whether to accept Kaori into Phantom Task or not.

"Kaori has potential to be an agent of Phantom Task, but think of a final good reason why I should recruit her?" Squall said. Three Dragons gave an approval at Kaori to make his point across.

"Must I spell it out?" Kaori partial deployed Phoenix, and sliced Squall's drink off her hand. Squall appeared moderately surprised by Kaori's preemptive strike.

"Cocky brat, you think you're a hotshot with that attitude? Hope you realize people aren't going to like you." Autumn sneered at Three Dragons, but Kaori's swift actions seemingly impressed Squall.

"It seems there's no further need to question you more," Squall said, "The interview is now complete. Autumn, clean the mess up. Kaori, lay low until I give you a new task." Satisfied with the results, Three Dragons offered his last drink to Squall, which she politely declined.

"Pleasure doing business with you." He and his bodyguard descend to the lower floor.

Three Dragons and his bodyguard were about to get in their car, but a teenage girl blocked their path. Her face was full of righteous anger, ready to serve justice.

"Stop right there! You took my IS…you must pay!" The teenage girl shouted.

Three Dragons didn't bother to listen, and shoved her out of the way. The girl brandished a machete to kill Three Dragons. Shen instinctively fired her USP45 to protect him.

Three Dragons opened the passenger compartment that revealed his GSh-18 to check that a round is chambered, and turned the safety trigger off. Fueled by rage, the woman tried to attack again, but Three Dragons shot her twice at point-blank range. Three Dragons was unsympathetic, rather than feeling guilty of his action as they calmly drove away.

From above, Squall looked below and grinned at Three Dragons' ruthlessness, which meant the partnership was accepted. She placed her hand on Kaori's shoulder.

"Kaori, can you properly dispose the dead woman? I like to keep the place clean, not a murder scene." said Squall.

"Yes, Squall." said Kaori, partial deploying Phoenix as fire slowly formed in her hand.

 **Time: 11:34PM – Maintenance Room**

A blue haired girl with two triangular hairpins worked on her IS nonstop. She could not get her IS running functional, and turned off the monitor. Tired from her work, she adjusted her glasses, and went back to her room as Tatenashi watched with her arms folded, concerned about her health.

 **Time: 9:46AM – Room 1-1**

Ichika, Houki and Liu relax before class starts when a young woman stepped in.

"Yoo-hoo! Orimura, Shinonono, and Liu."

"Hey, Kaoruko Mayazumi, how's the newspaper going?" said Ichika.

"Well, I kind of have a favor to ask for you."

Houki turned on her fast. "A favor? To ask us?"

"That's right, my older sis's working in a publishing company now, and I was wondering if…she can interview the three of you since you each have your own IS units." Kaoruko explained as she handed an Infinite Stripes magazine. They skimmed through the pages, but raised some suspicions.

"Umm, this doesn't have anything to do with IS units, does it?" Houki questioned.

"What's the point of publishing these magazine if it doesn't cover IS units?" Liu read the description of the gorgeous IS pilot woman.

"Hold on, have either of you done any of this kind of work before?"

"No." said Ichika.

"Well, some pilots with there own IS units are kind of like celebrities. They're some tech stuffs, but it's more of fashion shoots and modeling." Liu was not ideal of interviews because he did not want everyone to snoop his violent background.

"Sounds nice, but I don't think I can be a celebrity," said Liu. "I rather keep my personal life private."

Kaoruko cracked up laughing. "Don't you worry about that, I'll have that taken care of." Liu was confused what Kaoruko said that she will handle it.

"Wow, is that right, Houki?" Ichika asked.

"Eh…why are you asking me that?" Houki did not expect representatives to do interviews or photo shoots. Rin overheard the conversation, and barged in.

"Are you talking about modeling? Let me show you my portfolio."

"Rin!" Ichika exclaimed.

"What are you doing here?" said Liu.

Rin ignored Liu when he asked her as Ichika leaned back slightly, politely rejected her offer. "Uhh…no, that's okay."

"And why not?!"

"Well, isn't it you just doing some kind of weird poses and stuff…?"

"What do you mean by weird?" Rin pulled out her smart phone and shoved it in his face. "Just take a look at them, and find out for yourself, look at them right now!"

Ichika saw the pictures of Rin's poses. "Oh! Not bad!"

"Haha! I told you so, didn't I?" Rin exclaimed with pride, scrolling through the pictures. "How about this one from the summer that we attended last year…" The bell rang, but Rin was too focused showing off the pictures.

"Hey, I'll tell you what? I'll catch up after class." Kaoruko left as Chifuyu loomed over to Rin, and punched her head.

"Oww that hurt!"

"Someone needs to go back to Class 2." Rin walked back, rubbing her head as everyone went to their seats, Chifuyu turned the monitor on.

"Now then, for today's lecture, I like to begin by discussing the philosophy of close combat, including implementing effective evasive maneuvers, and how to keep your distance." Pictures of combat positions and defense tactics made up its lack of words on the board. Liu was specialized in long-range combat, but close combat was not his greatest strength. He jotted notes to remember important highlights.

 **Time: 10:23AM – Room 1-4**

Three classmates watched the blue haired girl working on her IS unit.

"Hey, have you heard about the upcoming event that's just for people with personal IS units?"

"What? Seriously?"

"Yeah, and I heard that Kanzashi from our class is going."

"Is she really? But I thought her personal IS hasn't been completed yet."

"Yeah, I hope she gets it done in time." Kanzashi sighed from its lack of progress on her IS unit.

 **Time: 10:27AM – Dojo**

Ichika sitting in seiza watched Houki practicing basic cut consecutively.

"Umm, Houki?" Ichika said.

"What?"

"The interview with Mayazumi's sister, are you going?"

Houki stopped and looked at Ichika, "No way, it's against my principles to be on display like an object." If any publishers want to interview Houki, most of the time, she would say no, given her being raised in a shrine with strict rules.

"Yeah, that's what I thought you would say." Kaoruko walked up behind Houki to meet up as promised.

"Yo! Thanks for waiting. Now down to business, about the interview…" Ichika interrupted her halfway to bring in the bad news.

"Well about that, Houki actually—" Kaoruko whipped out two tickets before Ichika could finish his sentence.

"Oh yeah, did I mention the deal also includes dinner tickets to a three star restaurant? For two of course." Houki's idea quickly changed upon seeing two restaurant tickets, which is a win-win situation for herself and Ichika.

"We'll both do it." Kaoruko was pleased that she took the offer.

"Well then, it's been decided. The interview is going to be this Sunday. Thanks again, bye!" Kaoruko left the dojo, leaving the two of them alone.

"What about your principles, Houki?"

"Upon our reflection, it turns out that I had happen to be a person who's thinking can be very flexible."

"You mean twisted." Houki poked her shinai at Ichika's cheek.

"Do you have a problem with that?"

"No problem. I guess I'm okay with doing it as long as you're okay with it." Ichika wanted to make Houki happy as she maintained her professional attitude.

"In regards to these free dinner tickets, we are…going together, aren't we?" The uptight tone quickly diminished to her soft demeanor.

"Sure, why not? They're going to interview both of us. After all, Liu has his own interview."

"Really? I mean, right! You're totally right." Houki blushed to get her chance with Ichika that will be a good day.

 **Time: 11:12AM – Infinite Stripes Studios**

A modern classy lounge brightened the sunny morning as a woman in her 20s arranged the spot for the interviewees.

"Hi there, I'm Nagisako Mayazumi, the assistant editor of Infinite Stripes, thanks for coming." Ichika, Houki, and Liu introduced themselves to begin the interview.

"Hi, I'm Ichika Orimura."

"I'm Houki Shinonono."

"Liu King-Sang."

Nagisako set her voice recorder on the table to record the interview. "Right. Liu, you have a different interview, head over towards the studio lot to your left." Liu was unsure, but he got up and left.

"If you don't mind, I would like to start with the interview first." Nagisako pressed the play button on the voice recorder, and the interview was now in session.

"Here's the first question. Orimura, what's it like to move in an all-girls academy?"

"Well…it's hard to find a bathroom that I can use."

Nagisako was surprised hearing Ichika's answer, and laughed. "I guess what my sister has been telling me is true!"

"Oh. Yeah?"

"And now, there's some questions about your sister that I would like to know." Houki fidgeted when the latter brought up the topic of Tabane Shinonono, Houki's older sister, the creator of IS.

"You received your IS directly from her, is this a plan to make you a representative contender?"

"About the Akatsubaki, I'm grateful that she made it for me. However, I'm not interested in being a representative contender because there's been many offers, and I reject it all." Houki's straight forward answer intrigued Nagisako even more to ask another question.

"Be honest. Between you and Ichika, which one of you is the strongest pilot?"

"That'd be me." Nagisako turned her attention at Ichika. "Oh really?"

Ichika stroked his right cheek to admit. "Well…yeah."

"Oh my, that's not a good characteristic as a hero, isn't it?"

"But I'm not trying to be a hero, ma'am. In the end, I'm just a soldier." Ichika's line struck a chord that made Nagisako ask one more question.

"I like that line! If you were in command, what's your battlefield strategy?"

Ichika paused to think of an answer as Nagisako held her voice recorder closer to catch his answer.

"It's umm…to protect…my comrades!" The last answer caught their attentions that effectively ended the interview.

Nagisako gave Ichika a thumbs up. "Yes! That's a cool catchphrase! Let's proceed to the photo shoot."

 **Time: 11:45AM – Studio Lot**

Staff personnel and IS pilots walked in and out to rehearse their photo shoot. Liu stared in blank space, not knowing where to start.

"Over here!" A staff member shouted at Liu, and followed her for the interview that led them to a parking lot.

"So, what's the interview?"

"This!" The staff member waived her hand as the Fire Black McLaren 675LT slowly approached to a stop. The driver got out of the car as Liu appeared surprised seeing the $349,500 English sports car. However, he didn't understand why it was here.

"Ma'am, mind if I ask, what's the 675LT doing here?"

"You finally get to realize your childhood dream to drive a sports car!"

"Why do they want me to drive it? I'm too young, plus I don't have a license."

"Can your feet touch the pedals?" Liu sat inside as his lower body slumped back against the lowly adjusted bucket seats. He extended his feet against the pedals with no problem, and held the three-spoke steering wheel. His heart pumped sitting inside the Alcantara cockpit, which was no doubt sports oriented.

"Yeah, I can reach the pedals, and see through the windshield." Liu said, inspecting the advanced gadgets on the console.

"Then there we go!"

 _Are you serious?! What kind of magazine allows me to drive this house on wheels?_ Liu had to think fast before she could make a rash decision.

"I'm not driving with my face exposed, the last thing I want is sirens on the mirrors." The staff member nearly forgot Kaoruko assigned Liu a 'special' interview, and gave him a helmet and racing gloves.

"I guess that helps, but don't you guys have IS pilots that are older than me, like I don't know, qualified?" The staff member scratched her head.

"Thing is, our recent IS pilot fell ill, and we're on a tight schedule to find another one. The IS pilots were too reluctant to test drive it."

"Come on, there has to be a way to change their minds." The staff member did not say a word, and Liu sighed from defeat.

"How can you manage your pilots in a crisis?" Liu muttered.

"You won't be alone, I'm sitting shotgun because I'm no staff member. I'm a car journalist!" Liu was caught off guard when she removed her cap that released her long wavy brown hair. She mounted a camera inside the windshield and wore her headset microphone.

"Who…are you?"

"I forgot to introduce myself, I'm Reina Ogishima, nice to meet you." The unexpected change made Liu even more uncomfortable with the interview. Reina tapped his shoulder for one last advice.

"Oh yeah, I want you to drive fast."

"What?"

"Drive it like you stole it! This car was built to be fast, not drive it casually like a family car."

"Hold on, this is not…" Reina patted his helmet, and slid down the visor before Liu could talk.

"How are you going to explain an unlicensed teenage boy drove a sports car speeding through traffic?" Liu questioned Reina on the safety instructions that weren't clearly given.

"The windows are tinted, just make sure we're back in one piece." Liu shook his head in disgust, but Reina smiled and turned her headset on.

"Thank you for tuning in, I'm Reina Ogishima, your favorite car journalist of Infinite Stripes! What I have with me is the McLaren 675LT, the hardcore version of the 650S." Reina put the seat belt on while she adjusted her hair.

"Only 500 of these were made, so you better get them while it lasts. 68% polyester, 32% polyurethane, this is indeed Alcantara." Reina described the interior of the car, pointing out small details.

"The significant thing of the 675LT is it stands for Long Tail, just like the F1 that raced at Lemans. The difference is it's not long like the predecessor, but it's an inch longer than the 650S because the front splitter and tail are 50% wider."

Liu remained silent while Reina lectured the specifications.

"Without further or do, let's awaken the beast!" Liu adjusted the seat belt, and pushed the start button, but Reina made a weird remark.

"Some say that his favorite iPhone screenshot has a picture on the front of a iPhone screenshot, and that he recently received one-hundred fifty thousand tickets for the cat grooming convention center. All we know is he's the driver!"

 _What the hell did she just say to me?_ Liu thought as he throbbed the pedal, and the car lurched. Torque kicked Liu in the chest, which he did not expect. As they were cruising down the street, he turned left and right to get the feeling of its characteristics.

"As you can see, the 675LT has tons of power under the hood, but it'll be even faster with this cool gadget. Switch it to race mode." Liu turned the dial to race mode, and floored it. Like a jet taking off, the tires screeched with sheer force, and the power increased tenfold. Liu's heart rate increased from its raw power that he has the opportunity to drive a limited edition car. Reina held on the door handle for her own safety.

"666 horsepower, 0-60 in 3 seconds…!" Reina's eyes widened as the speed increased to 110 mph, "2993 lbs that spells an ultimate racing machine with a top speed of…205 mph!" Reina shrieked with excitement while Liu weaved through traffic smoothly. He slid the car through the sweeping left, and stomped the pedal. The acceleration shifted the car's rear weight to over steer as Liu counter steered to drift.

Tire smoke build up while the car drift gracefully, followed by another one. Liu was initially scared to drive, but one step of the pedals made him a different person.

"3.8 L twin-turbo M838T V8 does the job to define fast, let's hear a word from our driver." Reina waited for an answer, but Liu remained silent to focus on the road.

"He's focused to thrash the car like it's suppose to be." 12 minutes passed by, the 675LT tore through the streets from donuts in abandoned infrastructures, and hitting the top speed. The interview came to an end as the 675LT returned to Infinite Stripes studio lot. They got out of the car, but Reina was still hyper the way Liu drove.

"There you have it folks! I was so mesmerized of the performance I was suppose to do a full review, but don't worry about it, I'll write it down when I publish it by next week. Until then, I'll see you next time!" Liu took off the helmet and gloves that made his face stuffed from the heat.

"How did I do?" Liu wiped the sweat off his forehead.

"Amazing! You drove like a professional, thanks so much for helping me out."

"Umm, sure thing. Please don't tell anyone about this or my identity."

"You have my words!" Reina hugged Liu and left. He went inside the studio, where Ichika and Houki were suppose to do a photo shoot.

 **Time: 11:24AM – Dressing Room**

Houki sighed after the interview, dreaming the last words Ichika said from the interview.

 _I must protect Houki!_ Unfortunately, she was so overjoyed that she punched a locker repeatedly.

"YES! Oh yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!" Houki grabbed a dress without paying attention, and when she looked down, it revealed a white sundress.

"Ohh…I-I'm supposed to wear this? You're kidding me!" Houki was embarrassed looking at the white sundress made for her, but she thought of the opportunity cost.

 _On the other hand, you know what? Opportunity could be knocking here, oh yeah!_

 **Time: 11:27AM – Studio**

Liu sat across the couch where Ichika, wearing a gray and blue suit was waiting for Houki. He didn't want to bother them, so he took out his earphone and played hip-hop music on his iPhone 6. To keep himself entertained, Liu grabbed an Infinite Stripes magazine.

Nagisako made Ichika and Houki do various poses, ranging from holding Houki's waist, sitting together, and Houki's arms around Ichika's neck. Despite Nagisako's demanding personality and a few hesitations, the pictures turned out beautiful. The interview and photo shoot were a success that Ichika and Houki get to keep the outfit.

"How nice of Nagisako that she let you keep these outfits." Liu commented.

"I mean, they look nice for the dinner tickets Kaoruko gave us." Houki replied.

"I wish I could hang out with you guys for dinner, but I have business matters to take care of, have fun!" Liu went separate ways as Ichika and Houki walked together.

 **Time: 11:20PM – M's Room**

Dozens of needles and empty drug capsules littered the hardwood floor as M lay on the bed, playing her locket.

"M, I'm coming in." Squall opened the door to walk towards her.

"You initiated an unauthorized contact. Would you care to explain, Madoka Orimura?" Madoka refused to answer the question to save the least of her trouble.

"Your assign task is to seize other nations' IS units. However, if you recklessly choose to indulge in other endeavors…" A gigantic golden tail emerged from her back, and caught Madoka up to the ceiling. Squall's threat was a warning if Madoka did not comply. She partial deployed an unknown golden IS, but Madoka had four drones aimed at Squall.

"You always have good reflexes." Squall chuckled at Madoka's wits. They de materialized their IS to settle down.

"Whether if you're Madoka Orimura or not isn't relevant to this mission. For right now, you're simply M of Phantom Task."

"Until I settle this score, that's my intention."

"Ah yes, the score with Ichika Orimura." Madoka scoffed at the mention of his name.

"I can kill him anytime, he's no threat."

"Oh yes, Right, you're talking about the score with Chifuyu Orimura." Madoka quickly frowned at her despised older sister while Squall casually folded her arms.

"I wouldn't worry about her since she no longer has her own IS, she can't possibly pose much of a challenge to you." Madoka threw a right cross and a roundhouse kick, but Squall leaped back just in time.

"Shut up! You don't even hold a candle to someone of her talent!" Madoka snapped when Squall thinks she doesn't have to kill her nemesis. Squall's ladylike attitude remained intact, and adjusted her red dress.

"Some of us need our sleep, so I guess it's time for me to take my leave." Before Squall left the room, she turned back with another message.

"As for you, lie low until your next assignment, and show Kaori a guide on Phantom Task."

"As you wish."

"I do like obedient girls."

Squall closed the door as Madoka pulled out her iPhone 6 to call Kaori. On the other side, Kaori was sleeping in her luxurious room until her phone broke the silence. Kaori hated anyone that interrupt her quiet time as she grabbed her phone.

"Are you here for a booty call? Everyone needs to sleep."

"Haha fuck you..." Madoka snarled. "I'm your tour guide for Phantom Task. We steal IS from other nations to create havoc. Number one rule is move in silence, keep your head low until order is given."

"Is that so? I can do that."

"You should re-think your statement from your previous encounter." Madoka walked towards Kaori's room. "Show me what you got to keep a low profile?"

"Go ahead, I-" A yelp from the other side, followed by a sound of punches and kicks interrupted her sentence. "Got someone making too much fuss, come on through."

Madoka and Kaori meet face to face for the first time. They share the same cold-blooded and sadistic personality, but the difference is Kaori has a penchant to torture people in many ways. Kaori led Madoka to another room, three men and one woman surrounded an injured young woman covered in blood. They were Phantom Task foot soldiers that carry out missions. Even though they don't pilot an IS, their combative skills are not to ignore.

"How's our guest doing?"

The man smeared the victim's hand with his foot as the woman holding a truncheon watched. Madoka stared at the victim shaken up, poking her, and she squirmed like a fish out of water.

"Did you ordered the hit?" Kaori questioned the victim.

The victim coughed blood. "I-I don't know what you're talking about...she acted on her own..."

Kaori gave the permission to rough her up every time the victim didn't answer the question correctly. The woman raised her truncheon above her head, and smacked the victim's spine. She cried in pain as her interrogators were void of emotions. The man grabbed a chair, and they tied her wrists and feet with duct tape.

"Can you explain what I'm watching, Kaori?" Madoka said in a bored expression.

"Squall called me in to dispose a teenage girl that tried to assassinate Three Dragons. I noticed a blue tattoo on her right wrist, and my men found the mastermind that shared identical tattoo. They believe she ordered the hit."

The man ripped the victim's sleeves that revealed the tattoo on her right wrist, waiting for further orders from Kaori. The woman tore the victim's shirt, exposing her bra.

"Why do you want Three Dragons gone?"

"Because he was a boy..." As the victim sobbed, Kaori did not approve her reason. The man grabbed a claw hammer, pointing his finger at the victim's nose.

"I'm not here to listen to your horseshit. Either you tell the truth, or I will rip the skin out of your body! You hear me?!"

The victim cried, trying to not get beat up again. "I...already told you what you wanted..."

Kaori nodded the man to torture her, he smacked the victim's hand with full force.

"AAAAAHHHHH!" The victim screamed as the man used the claw of the hammer, and threw a backhand slash at her cheek. The sharp claws ripped the victim's skin, blood oozing. Kaori wiped the blood away with a tissue in amuse.

"How about now?" Kaori questioned her again.

The victim was still in pain, unable to talk for a minute. Tired of not getting answers,, the man gave Kaori a plier to do the honor. The victim couldn't do anything, but watch in horror, and Kaori clipped a nail plate on her index finger. Kaori slowly ripped the nail plate off the root and sinus. The victim yelled top of her lungs as the nail matrix was exposed to oxygen.

"You got nine more left," said Kaori, throwing the fingernail away. "My friends will shaken you up to refresh your mind."

Kaori took in pleasure as she ripped another fingernail. The victim could do nothing but cry and scream from the barbaric torture. The woman took a scalpel, slicing the victim's arms and rib cages. The man grabbed a power drill to tear the victim's quadriceps, almost too close embedded to her muscle. The torture was cruel, but they didn't care as long as the victim confessed. A moment of silence, the victim finally revealed the truth.

"Three Dragons stole my sister's IS for profit, and he's planning to use it to recruit dangerous pilots!"

Madoka didn't care, but Kaori wanted to know more.

"What else is there?" Kaori turned on the power drill close to the victim's cerebellum.

"Three Dragons has plans to turn the rules around so men can operate an IS! I gave you everything you wanted, I want to go home..."

The victim cried nonstop, the interrogators cut her loose, and she fell down from the pain. Kaori was about to leave until Madoka stopped her.

"I don't like trash littered all over the place," said Madoka. "Clean your mess up, I'm not your maid."

Kaori sighed, watching the victim trying to get back on her feet. Kaori and Madoka walked away, waving her hand at her interrogators a goodbye. However, that was the order to end the victim's life for her usefulness expired. They drew their CZ 75 pistols, and shot her to death.

The topic of Ichika's family was taboo because Chifuyu didn't want to let Ichika find out Madoka was his little sister. Ichika was still unsure after he ran into Madoka that tried to murder him in cold blood. The tag team tournament was under way made by Chifuyu to improve personal IS users' skills against the recent hijack. Houki, Lingyin, Cecilia, Laura, Charlotte, Ichika and Liu step up to be stronger than last time. Liu had a hard time to keep a low profile against the media, especially the Infinite Stripes interview. However, he has a lot more to worry about, such as Three Dragons and Phantom Task. To make things worse, Three Dragons knew Liu operates an IS, which makes him want to steal Sockdolager, even if it cost his life.


	8. One Chance to Not Miss

**Opening song: J Stallin - Fuk That Ft. Too $hort**

 **Time: 1:46PM – Rooftop**

Charlotte and Ichika had lunch on a sunny cloudy afternoon. Everything else looked peaceful at IS Academy: classmates talking about IS or plans over the weekend, teachers relaxing in the lounge room.

"Here, Bon Appetit, Ichika!" Charlotte handed him a bento box, and he happily ate it.

"It's delicious!" he told Charlotte. "I think you're really good at making Japanese food."

Charlotte smiled at his positive comment, happy she made a fine lunch.

"Really? Glad to hear that, Ichika."

"This one taste good too, the batter's nice and crispy."

While Ichika munched his food, Rin stopped by to show her lunch.

"Aha! There you are, Ichika," said Rin. "Here, please try some of my Chinese stir fry bell pepper steak." Her lunch box contained fresh goodies as Ichika ate a sample.

Ichika said, "Wow! That is awesome!" The steak and bell peppers were mouth watering that exploded his taste buds. Rin laughed in delight before she mean mugged at Charlotte, clearly competing their attention to be tag team partners with Ichika. Oblivious from their affection, Ichika smiled.

"You two will be great wives someday," said Ichika. "You're both such awesome cooks."

Charlotte and Rin gasped happily that Ichika enjoyed homemade lunch, showing him more food.

"Here, Ichika, have a taste of my omelet now!"

"Here, have some tea!" Though it made Ichika slightly confused of their generosity.

"Wait a minute, why is it that you're both being so nice to me today?"

"Well, that's because—"

"Hey, we're always nice to you, right?" Ichika said nothing, waiting for them to ask more.

"Tell me, when you're fighting, which kind of partner would you normally prefer to fight alongside?" That was a good question because Ichika thought for a moment to answer it honestly.

"Let me see, I still need to brush up my sniping skills, so it would be nice if my partner can cover me there."

Charlotte and Rin nodded, believing every word Ichika would say to pick them.

"But in the end, I guess it's all about working in harmony, and just being compatible."

"Compatible?" Charlotte and Rin said in unison, getting closer to Ichika.

"Well, what do you want?" said Ichika, smiling at their faces.

"Ahh! Well, I think…that my ideal partner would be someone who helped me out when I get cornered, someone who would be willing to put everything on the line for me." Rin playfully shrugged her shoulders while her cheeks slightly blushed at his crush. Charlotte took her time to bring her best answer.

"I agree with her…I like those qualities, and also! I want a person to be responsive to my needs." Ichika understood their answers that they mean it to be their tag team partners, given the fact he is popular among classmates.

"Well, everyone has their type I guess, but I have a question, where is Liu?" Oddly enough, Liu did not hang around with anyone today; no one had a clue where he went.

 **Time: 2:40PM - Hallway**

Liu was on his way to take a nap at Rin's dorm, but when he opened the door, Tatenashi appeared in his bed. He was not pleased of her appearance.

"Ugh, what are you doing in my dorm?" Liu cupped his forehead, clearly unhappy with people in his dorm, but if Rin was there, she would kick them out like houseflies.

"Oh relax! I had a nap earlier ago. You know it's good for your skin." Small vein popped his forehead close to the edge of kicking her out.

"Please get the fuck out of my bed." If it wasn't bad enough for people to break in, sleeping in his bed would mean getting their ass kicked. Tatenashi playfully got off his bed as she walked towards him.

"Loosen up for once! I'm sure you're aware of the tag team tournament, do you have a partner?" Liu shook his head in silence to not say another word that might make him mad.

"I'll be your martial arts trainer because it appears your close combat needs a lot to polish up." Tatenashi winked at Liu, and felt offended he thought Tatenashi called him weak. Before Liu could talk back, Tatenashi jabbed his chin.

"Now there, you're thinking why she said that? You need to catch up like I did to Ichika, so hold your horses!" Liu didn't know Tatenashi once trained Ichika in shape to boost his skills. He's not aware she will do the same to him, and Tatenashi laughed while they walk to the dojo.

She set the alarm clock to three minutes. "Whoever lasts three minutes without getting knocked on the ground wins."

Tatenashi changed her school uniform into her keikogi, appalled when Liu saw her slightly nude body. Normally, Liu should have looked away when girls change their clothes, he was not extremely shy around nude or immodestly dressed girls because he has no interest picking girls up.

"Eek! You perv...hold on, why didn't you react?" Tatenashi curiously tilted her head at Liu's near-permanent scowl that nullified any pervertedness with no over-exaggeration. "I don't see your keikogi or your karategi, need a spare one?" Liu shook his head, removing his suit and tie, leaving his gray tank top on. His very refined physique with dark colorful tattoos covered his biceps, back, and pectoral muscles.

"This will do just enough." Liu wrapped his hands in gauze tape to protect his tendons and muscles.

"Nice tattoos, where did you get them?" Tatenashi teased his inks that describe his personality.

"A secret." Tiles of floor switched from hardwood into foam mats. They bow, and Tatenashi formed Kokutsu dachi. Liu used orthodox stance, and threw a left cross as Tatenashi leaned back. He answered with a double jab, right hook, and left straight, which she blocked effortlessly. Tatenashi threw a right cross, Liu elbow blocked just in time, and threw an uppercut; she sidestepped to palm strike his jaw.

"I see your approach to direct attacks, very different when I trained Ichika." She made a bet to Ichika that he must knock her down once. She won easily, but this one was more serious that involves fists to do the talking. Tatenashi mischievously grinned at Liu's appearance that resembled a rugged street fighter. They traded blows, but Tatenashi had the upper hand that landed more direct hits. Undeterred, Liu deflected the body blow, but she saw an opening to hip throw.

"Come now, you can't throw in the towel." He leaped back up to regain his composure. Liu did his best to defend, but Tatenashi broke through Liu's inadequate defense, and struck every opportunity with ease. Frustrated of not landing a single hit, Liu jump front kick, followed up a spin back kick. His left foot made contact on her forearm that slightly pushed her back. She casually brushed her forearms and chuckled.

"Getting more ballsy, aren't you? I'll show you as the Student Council President, I'm the best of the IS Academy." Tatenashi evaded Liu's left straight to grab his wrist, struck his bicep that rendered his left arm. He threw another straight, but she elbowed his chest, and landed her finishing blow, the overhand punch. The top-down trajectory, combined with the twisting hips knocked out Liu. The winner was clear; Tatenashi won, Liu lost. That didn't matter because Liu gave his best, but Tatenashi was better.

"You lasted one minute, twelve seconds." She showed the time results while he winced the pain on his cheekbone. Back then, Liu use any means to win a fight. If Liu had a weapon, the odds might be in his hands, but the chances are, he would lose control to restrain himself. Or worse, provoke Tatenashi to inflict major injuries.

"As I said before, I'll sharpen your fighting skills, come with me." She held her fan 'strength' to get her point across. Tatenashi displayed projection screens of fighting stances, offensive, defensive tactics, and evasive maneuvers.

"Martial arts is not to be ignored, even when piloting an IS unit. Your strength is top par, but you lack the basics, and you need to know them first." Liu followed each slides slowly, but not fast to mimic them correctly. Tatenashi nodded, crossing her arms and leaning back against the wall. After she observed his usual stance and profound use of strength, Tatenashi showed him a new stance.

"Boxing must be your preferred style, try the Hitman stance." Liu hanged his left wrist near the waist while his right fist was closely drawn to the chest. Liu flickered jab with a jerking motion, added momentum to rebound to the left, and snapped back to his body to fire again. He followed with a liver blow as his signature move. Tatenashi guided Liu Kyokushin to add his fighting style, and he combined them together to his arsenal.

 **Time: 3:23 PM - Stadium**

"I notice you're too dependent on your firearms," said Tatenashi. "deploy Sockdolager right now." Liu activated Sockdolager with his Venom rested by his side.

"Imagine in a fight where you took out a group of foes, but you're all out of ammunition, what do you do next?" Tatenashi questioned Liu in a scenario situation. Of course, Liu would already know the answer, but it might not be the right one.

"Switch to my secondary weapon."

"ALL out of ammunition," Tatenashi repeated. "Of course, you'll be a sitting duck, but even an empty gun is still useful. Attach a bayonet onto Venom." Tatenashi revealed a practice dummy with bullseye targets pinpointed all over.

"Your foe is about to kill you, now attack!" Tatenashi commanded, and Liu swung his Venom upward, downward, forward, sideways at the target. The bayonet slashed, hacked the targets while Tatenashi watched his performance, and noticed his swings were wide.

"Too predictable! Stop overextending your arms like you're giving a free hug," Tatenashi shouted. "Bring them closer to your body to protect them, try again!" Liu obeyed, but Tatenashi corrected his mistakes every time he straightened his arms. No matter how many times Liu repeated the techniques, Tatenashi made him do it again, despite his revised form. She was not kidding her harsh training made Ichika stronger, he was in a crash course.

"Again!" Tatenashi barked every minute to the point Liu found himself unable to approve her until he finally perfected the strikes.

"The shoulder stock can also be used like a club. Use your CQC knife, and the techniques you learned earlier." Liu used the buttstock to strike the dummy, same process as the bayonet. He moved on to the knife, and hand-to-hand combat to understand the concept of close combat. Again, Tatenashi made him do it repeatedly until she was fully satisfied, much to the annoyance of Liu. He did not realize the repetitive moves helped him build muscle memory. The target was still standing from its multiple beatings, and Liu struck vertical, sideways, and thrust its body and head. Liu removed his bayonet, and the dummy head rolled over.

"Is that good enough?" said Liu, pointing the decapitated dummy riddled with stab marks. "I did what you told me to do."

Tatenashi examined the torn target dummy. The targets were barely recognizable from the hacks and slash.

"You'll have to buy me a new one, show me what you got!" Tatenashi materialized Mysterious Lady and thrust her Heavy Rain. Liu parried the blow by holding his Venom horizontally. Liu parried left, slash, and follow-up butt stroke to the head. Tatenashi and Liu clashed blades as they faced off against each other. Liu bayonet charge as Tatenashi deflected upward, but he countered with a smash following vertical butt stroke. He downward cut to the head, but Tatenashi disarmed his bayonet, and pointed the blade against his throat.

Tatenashi and Liu withdrew their IS unit to call it a day before she held a fan that read 'bravo.'

 **Time: 3:57PM – Room 1-1**

Ichika was tasked to have Kanzashi, Tatenashi's little sister to be his tag team partner. The reason behind it was the developers created Byakushiki, and abandoned Kanzashi's personal IS. Tatenashi built her own from scratch, and Kanzashi was determined to do the same thing. However, she alienated herself that made Tatenashi guilty she went through the strenuous process.

Laura wanted Ichika to be her tag team partner; not knowing the fact Ichika will most likely have a different response. "I have been waiting for you, I assume you have prepared to have me as your tag team partner."

Ichika hesitated to answer, knowing the fact he will make Laura sad, or angry that might cost his life.

"Well actually…I-"

"This is the tournament entry form," Laura had the paper on her hand. "You will put your signature on it now."

Ichika sighed, not holding back to reveal the hard-hitting truth. "Sorry, Laura, but I already decided who I'm teaming up with."

The final saying caught Cecilia, Liu, and Houki, turned around at Ichika, and Laura, shocked he didn't pick her.

"You are my bride and you team up with someone else?!"

Laura partial deployed her IS to correct Ichika's answer, or rather physically. "This response is totally unacceptable!" She charged at Ichika, and ducked in time as Chifuyu grabbed her arm, and threw her back.

"The only time I want to smell flesh as if it's a Korean BBQ!"

Laura landed on her feet, still determined to snatch Ichika as her tag team partner, one way or the other. "Ugh, this matter is just between me and my bride!"

Chifuyu may tolerate minor nonsense, but this one took the cake. "I've had it to hear of this marriage crap, and besides, why would anyone wanted an idiot with no manners as their sister-in-law?"

Chifuyu's tough most of the time towards Ichika, but she deeply loves and cares for him. It was proven because Laura's fantasy of marrying Ichika, and having Chifuyu as her sister-in-law was something she would never accept. The insult was too strong for Laura so bad she fell in shock, and curled up in a ball, dejectedly murmuring. "My mentor hates me, my mentor hates me, my mentor hates me…"

The classmates were surprised, but Liu burst out laughing at the roast Chifuyu laid on Laura.

"Quiet, Liu! Orimura, would you take Bodewig back to her desk, please? Class has been delayed long enough."

Liu held his breath to contain his laughter, but when Ichika dragged Laura to her desk, he laughed again until Chifuyu smacked his head with a clipboard.

"I won't repeat myself again, be quiet!" Chifuyu had a penchant to use a textbook or her clipboard to smack anyone if they annoy her, even a tiny bit.

 **Time: 5:45PM – Women's Locker Room**

Houki and Cecilia changed their clothes after a training session with Ichika. So far, he has improved to match their skills, and they are after him.

 _I beat Ichika again today! I said that he was going to pick me as his tag team partner._ Houki thought happily that he did not pick Laura, clearly she want him right away. _If he asks nicely, I guess I can consider it._

On the opposite side, Cecilia also had her mindset on Ichika. _Ichika said he already decided whom he was going to pair up with! So he must have meant me, right? Finally, I will get to be with Ichika!_

Cecilia and Houki had their happy thoughts about Ichika as their ticket way out.

"Looks like our British contender is in a good mood today."

"Oh hi, Houki!"

"So how's it going?"

"Not too bad, and how are you doing?"

"Oh, I'm awesome!" Houki may have been friendly, but in her malicious mind, she was ready to drop the bomb on Cecilia. _That Cecilia, I can't wait to see the look on her face when she hears that Ichika's teaming up with me!_

"I'm very pleased to hear that." On the other hand, Cecilia had a nasty plot to ruin Houki. _Poor dear sweet Houki, she has no idea that Ichika's going to pick me!_

They parted ways, but in their minds, Ichika was their concern. _And she takes the prize!_

 **Time: 5:52 PM – Room 1-4**

The classmates of 1-4 were amazed when Ichika stepped foot into their classroom. They wanted to chat with him, but he didn't come here to hang out.

"Is Sarashiki here?" Ichika questioned the classmates; they backed off that shows Kanzashi in her desk, working on her IS. She took a sip of her carton drink as Ichika walked towards her.

"Uh, hi, nice to meet you! My name's Ichika Orimura."

Kanzashi stopped typing, and she responded in an unfriendly manner. "I know that."

"You do?" Ichika did not expect a rude awakening from Kanzashi, for someone that's solely independent.

"What do you want?"

"About that, I-I want you to be my partner for the upcoming tag team tournament."

Kanzashi coldly stared at Ichika, reminisce of Liu when he didn't act kindly to him. "I don't think so."

Ichika didn't stop there to reveal the light on her dark heart. "Ah don't say that, please…"

Kanzashi stood up, clenching her right fist as if she was asking for a beat down. "In all honesty, I'm within my rights to punch you now." She looked down on her choice. "But then, it's just not worth…the effort."

Ichika couldn't believe the cold, unfriendly tone Kanzashi rejected his proposal to be his tag team partner. Kanzashi held a grudge that the developers abandoned her personal IS, and focused on Byakushiki instead. The everlasting burn won't stop because she could not forgive Ichika. In return, Kanzashi built her IS from Uchigane with her modifications.

 **Time: 6:30PM - Maintenance Room**

Kanzashi worked furiously on her IS, still no progress has been made. _It's still not good enough, this just won't do._

She leaned back on her seat, thinking how Tatenashi built her IS by herself. To prove herself worthy, Kanzashi followed her footstep. An error message popped on her screen.

"If it weren't for his damn Byakushiki, I would have caught up to her." She grabbed her head in despair, nearly about to cry. As she left to watch anime, Ichika appeared. Kanzashi was disgusted by his arrival, and walked away.

"Hey, about that upcoming tag team tournament, I still need a partner!" Ichika followed her in every step. "Come on, Kanzashi!"

"Stop calling me by my first name."

"Sarashiki?"

"And don't call me by my last name either." Ichika disregarded Kanzashi's blunt response of not having a partner, but he persisted.

"All righty then, you, girl over there!" This didn't help Ichika out, all it did was made Kanzashi even more ticked off.

"What are you doing?"

"Look, you just told me not to call you by your name."

"I rather be called by my name than have you address me that way."

"Well then, Kanzashi it is!" It did not get him off the hook, testing Kanzashi's patience was not a smart move.

"What made you to pair up with me anyway?"

Ichika thought back, remembered not to mention Tatenashi because it would make the situation worse. "Because I want to see your personal IS!"

The last straw ended, and mentioning personal IS, especially in front of Kanzashi broke her temper. She raised her right hand like a pimp, and slapped Ichika. Shocked by her actions, she stormed off, leaving Ichika in lost of words.


	9. Too Irresistible I Cannot Forgo

**Opening song: A$AP Ferg - Yammy Gang Ft. A$AP Mob, Tatiana Palino**

 **Time: 8:50PM – Room 1025**

Ichika was doing a research on the classmates' profile until Tatenashi crept up behind him. He was startled by her unexpected appearance that nearly fell off his chair.

"Agghh! When did you get here?"

"Hey! You're not thinking about asking the maintenance department for help, are you?"

"Maybe, but not for me. I thought I ask them a favor for Kanzashi's personal IS."

Tatenashi folded her arms as she sat on his bed.

"That might turn out to be more difficult than you think. I'm pretty sure Kanzashi's determined to assemble her unit by herself." She slightly sulked at her little sister's rejection for help. "She's hung up about it as I did mine that way, but I really wish she wouldn't worry about it."

Ichika was amazed how much Kanzashi would do to accomplish her goal, even if it cost her social life to dissipate. "You assembled your own IS?"

"Mmhmm, with a little help in advice from Karuko and the maintenance department."

Tatenashi playfully leaned forward to change the subject.

"More importantly, how's it coming along with Kanzashi?"

Ichika chuckled nervously he didn't want to bring up. "Actually…your sister slapped me."

"What?! But that's so unlike her! Normally, Kanzashi wouldn't want to waste her energy on something so totally unproductive." Ichika sighed to admit Kanzashi truly smacked him silly for not leaving her alone.

Tatenashi chuckled and said, "Did you touch her butt or something?"

"Now why would I do something like that?"

"Ahahaha! I'm just yanking your chain." Tatenashi laid her finger on her chin, "In any case, I can't believe Kanzashi would do that. Now I get it, you have a crush on her!" Ichika was bewildered from Tatenashi's crazy accusation he likes Kanzashi that was out of his belief.

Kanzashi laid on her bed, watching her favorite anime, wondering why she slapped Ichika, even though she didn't want to use unwanted violence.

* * *

 **Time: 9:18AM – Stadium**

Two days away from the tag team tournament, classmates couldn't stop talking about which representative will take first place prize. They're not the only ones that were excited, those with personal IS are the captain of their boat to lead the way. Word around the town Ichika has been constantly asking Kanzashi to be his tag team partner; his friends were definitely not amused that will pay him back in due time.

"Oh, Ichika! You don't know yet, but I'll make you regret not pairing with me!" Cecilia in Blue Tears arose above the ground with multiple targets scattered her vision. She laughed shooting down the targets with her drones firing separately, and all were hit bullseye.

"Trembling fear as I, the legendary Cecilia Alcott and my Blue Tears lay your sad requiem!" Cecilia triumphed proudly at her scoreboard: 1300 points.

Rin in Shenlong barked over her interface like a general ordering his soldiers. "I just told you, dammit! I need you to get that package data on that Widespread Impact Cannon for the right shoulder unit, and I need it yesterday. You have three days to finish it, and I don't want to hear that you can't do it!"

She was mad Ichika had the nerve to go after Kanzashi, after what she did for him back in their childhood. Now that's been broken, the greet might end up in a bloody finale.

"And as for you, Ichika, you can cry, beg for forgiveness, but you're getting none from me!"

Charlotte in her personal IS freefall from the IS Academy statue as targets lined up like a centipede. She dual wielded Garm and fired at the targets. She used her Bread Slicer to hack and slash the remaining targets. "I will be your worst nightmare, Ichika!"

While everyone else trained vigorously, Laura sharpened her combat knife, grinning at the reflection of the refined blade. "I'm going to show you my true terror really is in fact…" She pointed her combat knife at the locker. "I will carve your very flesh, Ichika!"

Laura hallucinated Ichika was there as she threw her knife at the illusion. Suddenly, Laura opened her locker, and the knife dislodged a picture of her 'husband' on the forehead. If that were to happen in real life, there's no other way to fix it. Laura scurried through to repair her lover until an avalanche of combat knifes buried her.

"I need a medic! Get me a medic!"

Houki wasn't taking any chances to win the tag team tournament because Ichika didn't pick her. Liu slowly drew his katana he borrowed from Houki. She has a way to show her gratitude with tough love.

 _Showing you some mercy is the least that I can do._ Houki prepared to draw her katana, unusual for her to train with a steel blade rather than her shinai. _I'll make it quick so you won't suffer much, Ichika._ She raised her katana above her head as Liu followed her, and were about to spar until a pair of hands grabbed Houki's breasts.

"Gotcha, Houki!" Tatenashi surprised Houki, which she blushed at her presence. Luckily, it was not a guy that groped Houki, but if that were the case, his head would be split open like a cantaloupe.

"W-what are you doing, Tatenashi?" Liu did not like Tatenashi show up inappropriately every time, looking at them aloof. Houki, however, was appalled at Liu not looking away.

"Don't look!" Liu raised an eyebrow, but that made the situation more awkward, and Houki attacked for disobeying her. Liu deflected the overhead strike as Houki tried to wear him down. Liu's bored face didn't match Houki's embarrassed, angry expression.

"Easy there, Liu won't fluster." Tatenashi giggled at them, Liu shook his head at her nonchalant teasing. Houki, still blushing sighed he did not react seeing her groped and settled down.

"So I've noticed you're training with a live blade."

"Well yeah, of course I am."

"Hey, there's a crazy idea! You and Liu should hook up!" Houki and Liu were shocked she would make them tag team partners. Initially, he was supposed to be with Tatenashi, but at the last minute, she changed the idea.

* * *

 **Time: 10:04AM – Facility**

Houki and Liu stepped inside the full-body scanner as Tatenashi set up the databases.

"First things first, I'm going to check your physical data."

"Nothing creepy about that? Ok, whatever." Houki said, unsure of the body test.

"Sure thing, as long as you know what you're doing." Liu was confused why Tatenashi made him pair up with Houki. Perhaps it could be the chemistry that would fit them.

"Everything's all set, so let's get down to business!" The machine scanned their bodies from bottom to top for 5 seconds. Tatenashi observed the data from Houki and Liu, but had a different mindset after she saw her body.

"Oh my goodness!" Tatenashi exclaimed, looking at Houki's body, which she was supposed to input the results, not her physique.

"I-is there something wrong?"

"You got some really big boobs," said Tatenashi, comparing her chest size. "As a matter of fact, I think your dirty pillow might be bigger than mine."

"Hey! Is this what you want to look in there? This is serious business!"

Tatenashi laughed, and saw Liu's results.

"With your athletic body, you should -"

"Not in a million chance!" Liu interrupted Tatenashi before she could make another rude comment. She continued to laugh as she left the facility. Given the opposite personalities and fighting style, they're not exactly the right duo, but they'll have to resolve their obstacles.

"So that's her final saying to make us partners, whether if we like it or not," said Liu, shrugged. "Might as well plan out our strategies."

Houki waited, squirmed in her seat. "I can fight head on while you can provide suppressive fire in any direction."

Liu nodded. "The suppressive fire can prevent them to reach you. While they get distracted, they're vulnerable, depending where I hit them."

"Flank on the sides, front or back, they'll have less time to react, that is where I strike."

"Agreed, but I'm bad at taking hits," said Liu, looking around for something to say to her. "Sockdolager is pretty fragile, along with my poor defense capabilities, so I can't rely too much for you to cover me."

"Suppressive fire won't be enough either to keep opponents getting distracted, you'll have to stick with me if they overwhelm you."

"I hate to admit it, but you might be right that I'll have to fight up close, even though I don't like it. We'll figure it out somehow, there's a new weapon I want to test if our plan goes together."

"A new weapon? What is it?"

"I'll show you."

* * *

Houki and Liu walked to his personal IS, Sockdolager with a foreign weapon lay flat on the table.

"I'm not familiar with guns, so what kind of gun is this?"

"This is Fortissimo, a light machine gun made in China. I had the Russian Buzzsaw, but thing is too heavy that decreased my mobility, so I went for a smaller size."

Liu adjusted the bipod as he test out the new toy.

"I can definitely move faster thanks to its lightness, although it doesn't hold that much rounds, and only has iron sight, no scope attached. Furthermore, it shares the same .55 cartridges as Venom Slug, but in heavy rounds."

Houki didn't understand gun language Liu babbled, but she understood to know his reasons for smaller weapons. Observing the unfamiliar weapon, Houki wanted to feel what it's like having a firearm.

"I never held one before, mind if I test it out?"

Liu handed to Houki as she shouldered the Fortissimo, feeling the metal and wood that made up the gun. While inexperienced with firearms, Houki knows to keep her finger off the trigger when not intending to shoot. A target appeared as Liu gave the approval to fire the gun. Houki aimed down the iron sight, and fired. The smaller cartridges don't have potent as the .62 cal, but its heavy rounds are strong enough to expand damage. The recoil pushed Houki back slightly she did not expect, definitely more comfortable with her katanas.

"I'll stick to my weapons, thank you very much." Houki returned the gun back to Liu as he burst fire to decrease expansion of the crossfire. After firing his new toy, Liu dematerialized Fortissimo.

"Handles much better than my previous machine gun."

Houki scratched her head. "I admit it's impressive, but be on your toes because we don't know who we'll face. Come on, let's train to pinpoint what we need to work on, and tune our IS."

Houki and Liu presume training nonstop to sort out fighting tactics and weaknesses. While it may have been strenuous from Houki's strict training routine, Liu eventually got used to it thanks to Tatenashi that shaped him. Kanzashi couldn't stop thinking why she couldn't keep up with Tatenashi, despite being the Sarashiki family. She was determined to beat her older sister.

Tatenashi compared the data from Houki. "What's going on here? Advancing from C to S in such a short period of time? That's unheard of; I bet the key here is Tabane Shinonono."

* * *

Rin and Cecilia with their maintenance team worked on their personal IS, tuning its weapons systems and package databases.

"So I like to raise the booster output in order to improve my tuning ability."

"That's fine, but it's going to make the control unit more difficult, and you'll lose stability."

"I don't care about stability, I can't afford to lose this next battle no matter what it takes!"

"Hey!" said Ichika at Rin and Cecilia, much to their happiness, but not for long until he revealed a name they don't like.

"Have any of you seen Kanzashi?"

Rin and Cecilia were angry in zero to hundred because Ichika still doesn't understand their feelings to be his tag team; his desire for Kanzashi ruined their mood.

"You need to get out of here right now."

"That's right, we're going to have to report you!"

Both turned their backs away, but Ichika didn't understand why.

"I wonder what they're mad about this time?"

"Ahem! Would you please, Orimura?" Charlotte and Laura scowled; clearly displeased they didn't have Ichika as their tag team partner.

"Oh now I get it, everyone's probably feeling nervous because of the competition, then I better get a move on too!" Ichika thought they were mad because of the tournament. However, that's not the case because his blockheadedness prevented him to understand the girls' feelings.

* * *

Kanzashi raised her right hand to materialize her IS, Uchigane Nishiki.

"This is the day that I'm going to make this work."

Kanzashi flew towards the sky, typing codes on a holographic keyboard to test its functions.

"Unit control is good, hyper sensor connectivity interlock verified."

The IS flew higher to increase speed. "Posture control thrusters functioning. Adjusting deployment hard points, shifting out PFIC interference region, adjusting the center of gravity 6 centimeters forward, and re-igniting leg booster balancers, minus 4."

The leg booster increased its speed from Kanzashi's command. Kanzashi flew around the Stadium elegantly without a single mistake as Ichika appeared from the bleachers, looking for Kanzashi.

"She's not here either, what's that?" Ichika looked up at the Uchigane Nishiki flying in the spectacle.

"Hey that's Kanzashi! So that's what her IS looks like."

The test run was about to be a success when suddenly, her right leg stuttered out of booster, and exploded. Kanzashi did not expect a malfunction as she tried to fight for control.

"The recoil controls offline! But why?" Error messages popped all over her surroundings to no end. Kanzashi tried hard to get Uchigane Nishiki back on its feet, but her IS died out. Smoke trailed its broken right leg, falling down like a fighter jet shot down from a dogfight.

Ichika quickly activated Byakushiki to save Kanzashi from her demise. Kanzashi felt no hope to escape, tears bubbled up her eyelids.

"Big sister…there's no way that I'll ever…be able to catch up with her, there's no way..."

Kanzashi imagined Tatenashi smiled briefly, walking away into the light. She sadly smiled to accept her fate, closing her eyes to not see herself smothered into road rash.

"In the end…I'm just no good."

Kanzashi was falling down dangerously close to the ground, nearly killing herself, but Ichika caught her in the niche of time. However, the impact sent them tumbling to the wall, slightly injured thanks to the IS exoskeleton that protected the fall.

The dust cleared, Ichika holding Kanzashi like Prince Charming saved his lover from a villain.

"O-Orimura! Are you okay?"

Ichika winced the pain, smiling. "You know what? This really hurts like hell."

"I'm so, so sorry!"

"Hm? Are you okay?"

Kanzashi gasped she let her true emotions revealed. "Yes, I'm fine."

"Well, I'm really glad to hear that!"

Kanzashi and Ichika deactivated their personal IS, organizing the damage report from Uchigane Nishiki.

"So the way I see it, we're going to have to file a crapload of damage reports for all this."

"Um, but it's…really all my fault…" said Kanzashi in her somber tone.

"Don't worry about it, no one will blame you for malfunctioning unit."

Kanzashi hesitated every time she opened her mouth. "Um, I just…um, wanted…to say thank you!"

Ichika was confused the way Kanzashi apologized.

"You know…for saving me earlier."

"Oh that's all right! You don't have to thank me for that, just doing my job." Ichika was honest he didn't act like Super Macho Man; he did what's necessary to protect everyone. Kanzashi looked down as if she caught a cold.

"Is something the matter, ?"

"Oh no, nothing at all!" said Kanzashi, looking at the opposite direction.

"Anyway, I bet you're hungry, wanna grab some chow?"

Kanzashi initially resented Ichika due to his IS gaining priority over her personal IS, but she began developing feelings for Ichika when he saved her from a failed test flight of her IS. The weird feeling of falling in love with an enemy turned ally was something Kanzashi never felt. She couldn't stop having thoughts of Ichika, just one action changed her life upside down like a beam of light shined down her dark heart.

 _If you don't know what you want, you need to try something._ Kanzashi slipped into a trance, dreaming Ichika speaking to her.

 _So, would you like to be my partner?_

 _No, I mean I…maybe…I just don't know. I'm sorry, but I'm not sure._

 _But if you don't try, then you'll never know, will you?_

 _It's just that…I'm scared._

 _There's no need to be afraid, just leave it to me!_

Ichika posed like an anime superhero Kanzashi liked to watch, her eyes widened in loss of her words.

 _Come on! Just give it a shot, teammate._ Kanzashi hesitated briefly when Ichika held his hand to shake it, and she held his hand. Once she shook his hand, Kanzashi thought it was all a dream until it turned into a reality. Unable to say a word, Kanzashi couldn't believe the entire time, Ichika waited for her to shake his hand to be his tag team partner.

"Oh yeah! That was a yes, was it?" Ichika jumped happily he finally got to have Kanzashi.

"Well um…I uh –-"

"All right, we got to hurry to the faculty room, we have to register our partnership!"

Ichika grabbed Kanzashi by her hand as they ran to have their names registered for the tag team tournament. They looked at Uchigane Nishiki, the weapons systems are not ready, and the operational data was not available either. Ichika had an idea to ask the maintenance department to help finish Uchigane Nishiki, which Kanzashi has never done before. Her loneliness slowly subsided, feeling grateful her classmates are willing to help her.

* * *

 **Time: 10:42PM – Stadium**

Houki and Liu concluded their training, huffing and wheezing from the rigorous exercises.

Liu bowed to Houki. "I…thank you for everything that you offer."

"Oh, don't need to worry about that, we did it together. You finally know how to defend properly, and tuned Sockdolager's defense mechanisms."

"Yeah, I never thought of defense, all I cared about was having the best offense until I realize I looked like a trigger happy ga…"

Liu stopped briefly before he could finish his sentence, realizing he might accidentally expose furthermore about his identity.

"You were saying?" Houki wondered at Liu, slightly hesitant.

"Um…I was meant to say…Tatenashi is looking for you!" Liu pointed at Tatenashi, walking away to avoid Tatenashi's lewd comments.

"There you are! Why don't we go hop in the shower together? Hey Liu, there's always room for one more!"

"No way in hell I'll allow a boy to shower with us! Wait, what?!"

"I'm joking about Liu, silly! Come on don't be like that! I mean, where's the fun?"

Tatenashi grabbed Houki by the hand, reminisce of Tabane did the same thing back in the old days. Sadly, as time flew by, Tabane isolated Houki away to develop IS, and Houki felt hurt that she left her.

Houki and Tatenashi took a hot shower, enjoying the steaming water cleansing their soft, creamy skin.

"Ahh, this feels so good, don't you think, Houki?"

Houki looked at the ceiling, not answering Tatenashi's question.

"So…what you're thinking about?"

"I was…thinking…about my sister."

"I guess you been trying to keep your distance huh? From your big sister I mean, ?"

"No, it's not that I dislike her, I'm grateful she gave me a personal IS, but…"

"I see that's really good to know. After all, it's best to get along with your family, not that I have room to talk about."

Houki sighed. "The thing is I can never figure out what she's thinking."

Tatenashi turned the water off, her voluptuous body pressed against the foggy glass door. "And you're scared because you don't know? Yeah I get it, I feel the exact same way. Though I wouldn't worry about it, from what I can tell, your sister must have cared about you a lot."

* * *

 **Time: 11:14PM – Rin's Dorm**

Liu played hip hop music on his laptop as the speakers blared snare roll with profanity, derogatory violent contents. He likes his music uncensored, nodding his head at the beats.

"When I was young had that chopper cock it

Project Pat was robbing

Like the Grinch, bitch, taking shit filling up my stocking

Cap on my skull, nigga, better wipe up that mud

Nigga like Pat don't give no fuck

Busting that thumpa' screaming "Thug Life!"

Rin wished Liu played something more upbeat, less swearing, and groaned after hearing the next set of lyrics.

"White and gold Guiseppe, nigga, that a be a G

Got your bitch riding with me shoulda never never let her leave

I'm a dog ass nigga, and you know I play for keeps

Got your ho popping molly smoking medicated weed

Got your ho giving me sloppy while I estimate my cheese"

Rin cupped her forehead at the offensive lyrics towards women and the violence portrayed. Liu sat on his chair with a small box of strawberry Pocky on his right hand, eating the strawberry coated biscuit stick. He needed a rest from today's training, the day was tiring, his body begged him to stop.

"You suck at your music choice, you ain't go no fuckin' Cantopop in your serato?"

"You ain't got no Rin on the track, ho?"

"Bite me! At least I can understand what the singers are saying, what is this rapper saying? I hear a bunch of mumbling."

"Not your language then. Step away before you turn into a crazed fan-girl with no sense of directions."

A short trade of insults over music was to talk whatever came into their mind. Rin liked Cantopop for its catchy beats, voice, and soulful lyrics. On the other hand, Liu preferred hip hop music for 'medicine' to start his day.

"Since day one, I didn't know what an IS was, I searched for answers everyday, came up nothing until now."

Rin leaned on her seat, grabbing a strawberry Pocky. "What do you mean?"

"I should have known what they are, I thought it was a dangerous computer virus worth millions of dollars."

Rin's left eye slightly twitched, disgusted to hear something so stupid.

"Jeez, where the hell have you been living, under a rock? Even Ichika knows before a freak accident occurred that let him operate it."

"Heh?"

Rin was close to slap Liu for his ignorance, but she thought about it, and let it slide because of lack of knowledge. "Of course you wouldn't know Ichika's the first male IS pilot, considering the fact only women can use it."

"That I didn't know, but once I touched Sockdolager, I was in it."

"Freak accident number two," said Rin, twirling her pen. "No one knows your true identity?"

Liu nearly said 'gangster' in front of Houki, so he slightly lied. "Not at all."

"I see you living the underworld of China, how's that treating you?"

"Has ups and downs. Righteousness Union treat me like their kinfolk, very welcomed to have a family, though I can't be a pussy in public, it's do or die."

"Uh huh, that's what molded you into this?"

"Pretty much, no rules, no problem."

Not much was known about his early life. Liu joined Righteousness Union in search of his identity. He thought back when he and his friends were low-level members, they would hang out, do petty crimes, and pull cruel pranks. Years of living in the underworld, they rise up to be full pledge Righteousness Union, where they engaged serious crimes to 'better' themselves. Funny enough, guns were out of their reach, they use crude made weapons or fists to do the talking. The first, final unforgettable heist involved with guns they used the first time that separated them, unknown of their last appearances.

Liu bumped heads with Three Dragons over many things, ranging from territorial disputes, respect, and the IS took the tipping point where they won't rest until one of them dies. Every time he hears the name Three Dragons made him want to kill him no matter what. Despite its perks living in the underworld, Liu sometimes questioned himself why he became a crook. Money, respect, or identity could be the factors that made him a crook. Although Liu gained some appreciation in life living at IS Academy, especially Rin guiding him, Liu still had thoughts if Righteousness Union would still recognize him if he return.

"There's a lot of choices to be make, not all of them will be pretty," said Rin. "What more do you want to talk about?"

"What if I never operate an IS? You would do your own thing, me residing in the underworld paradise."

Rin and Liu were silent, picturing the scenario she would not have to save him from making a scene.

"I suppose so, what happened when you operate an IS?" Rin questioned.

"Mind blowing, don't know where to start, and the next thing I knew, I saw Three Dragons' guys, so I went guns blazing, though they had a few female IS pilots that put up a good fight."

"And that's how I met you because you made a mess, used up all your energy, and nearly died."

"The power of IS. Do I ever regret operating an IS?" Liu asked himself. "At first, I did, but I don't because I can't turn back once I made my choice to get Three Dragons."

"I don't know the full extent of your intense hatred of Three Dragons, but killing him won't solve all your problems."

"Why's that?"

Rin sighed. "There's always to have replacements, and your habitual violence will make you stuck in the loop, you won't get anywhere from that."

"Who will stop him from getting me? I can't put that aside, especially his crazy ass now that he knows I operate an IS."

"Leave it to Chifuyu, you'll be safe with me."

They grab another box of strawberry Pocky, munching on their favorite Japanese snack, getting ready for the tag team tournament tomorrow.

* * *

Kanzashi had a small bag of homemade cupcakes made for Ichika as a token of gratification for helping her IS.

"I wonder if Orimura's going to like these." Kanzashi was a few feet away to meet Ichika until she saw Tatenashi clinging onto him, and she hid.

"Jeez, come on, give me a break."

"Hey, ok just relax! By the way, how did it go with Kanzashi's unit today? Is it done?"

Kanzashi was dismayed at Tatenashi's remark. "Don't assume the worst, maybe he's…"

"Well, it's coming together."

Kanzashi gripped the present, still not assuming the inevitable.

"Hehe, I bet my unit's data came in handy, right?"

Of all this time, Tatenashi planned this out to secretly help Kanzashi behind her back. Even with Ichika's lending hand, Kanzashi felt like he was a puppet to Tatenashi pulling the strings. Beyond shocked, disheartened, Kanzashi dropped her present, and ran to her room. Kanzashi fell to her knees, quietly sobbing she did not fully accomplish to beat Tatenashi. Teardrops dripped, and she collapsed, crying uncontrollably.


	10. Provoke

**Opening song: Nas - Strong Will Continue Ft. Damian Marley**

 **Time: 1:01AM – Phantom Task Hideout**

Inside the factory, a Hong Kong IS dealer of rugged appearance 20 years of age inspected a row of unknown IS shrouded by a dim light above the ceiling. The straw fedora hat covered his unkempt dark brown hair. The man's black eyes are almost half-closed in a look that can be interpreted as distaste. His attire was an orange Hawaiian short sleeve shirt, blazers, and white sneakers.

His vacation clothing does not give away innocence; he was wanted for IS dealing that violated the Alaska Treaty, and arms trafficking from Japan, Hong Kong, and China. He looked at his Rolex watch, tapping his foot impatiently waiting for someone to come.

"I don't have all day! Where the hell are you, Three Dragons?" said the man in frustration.

"Danny Hui, I'm right here." Three Dragons casually walked towards him, but he did not take it kindly.

"Ahem, you'll address me properly first."

Three Dragons sighed. "Big Tiger, I'm right here."

Big Tiger acknowledged the proper formality, pulling out a Cuban cigar, and smoked. Three Dragons had a distaste of cigarettes, wiping the nicotine smoke away from his face.

"I got what you asked for, what do you want me to do with them?"

Three Dragons glanced at the IS, then at Big Tiger. "Send them to my friends at the offshore island, they appear to be…ready for combat."

"I don't know what you just said, but all right then. Don't forget the other side of our agreement."

Three Dragons tilted Big Tiger's fedora hat sideways. "Win or lose won't matter, as long as you deliver them. My friend, this is for you." He took out a yellow and blue box filled with mooncake. "One of the finest made in China."

Big Tiger adjusted his hat as he thought Three Dragons didn't take him seriously, snatching a mooncake.

"You've got to shitting me, I came all the way from Hong Kong to meet your clown ass, and this is what I…" Big Tiger didn't pay attention ripping the mooncake in half, revealed a stack of Hong Kong dollars. He felt the money in his palm, holding it gently like a test tube before he counted the paper bills.

"I'll give it to you for creativity. If I'm correct, it's worth at least 1,427,000 HKD in this box."

"That's right. Remember, whether if they are killed or not, that doesn't concern me because once you send them away, I'm not here!" said Three Dragons, shrugging.

"Like I give a fuck about you, the money is all I care." Big Tiger was fixated on the money, not paying attention to the fine print Three Dragons laid out. Once the negotiation is sealed off, contacts will be cut off to keep it a low profile.

"Here's a voice recognition device to activate the IS. You can use them anytime, but watch where your money goes, you'll need it."

Three Dragons coyly hinted that the latter would be in trouble – specifically Big Tiger is solely responsible for his actions, not Three Dragons. Big Tiger has a habitual spending on expensive clothing and jewelry. Three Dragons chose him because Big Tiger will do anything as long as he's paid, and his lifestyle will catch the attention of police. Big Tiger returned to his white Toyota Vellfire, and his chauffeur drove off. Three Dragons ate a mooncake, looking at the fading minivan before he walked away.

* * *

 **Time: 8:35AM – Assembly**

Kanzashi did not have a good night sleep. She cried all night, couldn't stop thinking Tatenashi planned this out to help her finish Uchigane Nishiki. Kanzashi believed she accomplished her goal, and dreaming of Ichika made her more depressed, especially he was an accomplice to Tatenashi.

Today marks the day for the tag team tournament; classmates huddled as Tatenashi step forward to initiate the opening ceremony.

"Hello everyone! Today's the day of the IS tag team tournament spectacular! I want to see all of the participants out there…"

While Tatenashi talked throughout the way, Ichika searched everywhere for Kanzashi that didn't appear in class.

"She's not here either…where are you?" Ichika ran room-to-room, corner after corner, still no sign of Kanzashi. She hid in a corner, severely depressed from the incident.

 _I bet my unit's data came in handy, right?_ In her mind state, Kanzashi was in an ominous void of space. Tatenashi suddenly appeared from behind in a behemoth size.

 _You don't have to do anything at all, Kanzashi because I'll handle everything for you._

 _But, but I…can do this!_

Tatenashi giggled. _No, you should just remain incompetent._ Her giant hands slowly formed around Kanzashi.

 _I won't! NOOOOOO!_ Tatenashi laughed maniacally, as she covered her entirely.

Back in the present time, Kanzashi sulked. "There's no way…I can beat her…there's no way…"

Kanzashi got up to walk somewhere else. "But I have to go, I have to."

"Therefore, with the hope that this experience will be a worthwhile one, I would like to declare this tournament officially open!" Tatenashi concluded the opening speech as Ichika ran all might to find Kanzashi. No matter how hard he looked everywhere, Kanzashi still won't appear, hiding in another corner, silently crying.

The holographic projection revealed a tournament bracket:

 **Daryl Casey & Forte Sapphire**

 **Ichika Orimura & Kanzashi Sarashiki vs. Houki Shinonono & Liu King-Sang**

 **Charlotte Dunois & Laura Bodewig vs. Cecilia Alcott & Lingyin Huang**

Houki glee happily she got to face Ichika Orimura, her longtime childhood that refused to be her tag team partner. Liu grinned he has the opportunity to fight Ichika, given that Tatenashi trained him to be strong. Houki and Liu give dap for their bloodthirsty moment to get Ichika. While they're happy to face their friends turned foes, Ichika grew agitated searching for Kanzashi.

"Kanzashi! Where are you?" Ichika cried out. "Could she have gone down to the pit by herself?"

* * *

 **Time: 8:50AM – Central, Hong Kong**

After flying back to his hometown, Big Tiger went to many high-end jewelry shops to fill his luxurious needs. Right off the bat, Big Tiger spent most of his money on a herringbone gold chain, 18kt Cuban link necklace, and two gold Cuban bracelets. Big Tiger felt like a boss with his expensive jewelries, topped off with a Randolph Aviator shades worth 23,000 HKD. Big Tiger was at a café, eating a curry tendon beef brisket and drank lemon-iced tea to cool off the hot weather. He pulled out his voice recognition device to activate the IS. " **Naam ji boon sik** ( _Invisible Target.)"_

* * *

 **Time: 8:51AM – Hallway**

Ichika looked around until **Boom!** An explosion rocked the hallway Ichika almost lost balance.

"Now what?" Multiple 'Emergency Warning' signs flooded the hallway as sirens blared the system.

Maya cried out to Chifuyu. "Agh! Miss Orimura, we're under attack!" Screens projected some unknown several IS on the Stadium.

"What are those?"

"They look like the same unknown unmanned IS we encountered before. No way, those are advanced version!"

"How many?"

"Five, ma'am. They appear at each arena's pit, and now they're attacking the students with personal IS units who are standing by."

Chifuyu gritted her teeth. "Damn it, this is way too fast. Instructors, evacuate the students, all combat capable instructors prepare to deploy!"

"Understood!"

"You're pretty bold, Big Tiger, but…don't underestimate us."

Chifuyu had a case on Big Tiger for quite a while ever since he created a ruckus in her hometown. She picked up the last frequency of the voice recognition device on the monitor that traced back to Big Tiger's location. Chifuyu had connections with the police force as she turned on another interface.

"This is Chifuyu Orimura to Hong Kong Police Force, be on a lookout for Danny 'Big Tiger' Hui. Wanted fugitive has activated unmanned units with unregistered cores, last seen at a café on Ice House Street."

In Hong Kong, police officers scrambled as they gear up to search for the wanted suspect, alerting local officers on duty. "Officers in the nearby area, wanted fugitive Big Tiger was seen walking into the crowd, approach with caution."

* * *

Five Unmanned IS attacked Rin and Liu, both struggled to put up a fight against the new foe. Cecilia jumped in to cover fire, but it dodged every shots, and fired consecutive lasers. They were seemingly caught in the explosion as Laura and Charlotte also had a hard time against its sheer strength.

At the arena pit, Kanzashi appeared frightened as the unmanned IS slowly raised its right hand to strike. Ichika crashed from the ceiling to push the IS back to defend her.

"Kanzashi! You okay?"

Kanzashi had no time to say thanks when the IS charged up lasers. "Orimura!"

"Go get your IS, you're in this now!" Ichika yelled.

Kanzashi activated Uchigane Nishiki, but couldn't find the courage to fight until she saw Ichika losing the fight. She gained determination to fight as she charged towards the IS with her naginata, and they pushed it back.

In the sky, Houki traded blows with another IS that appeared equally matched.

"I need some help, Liu!" Houki shouted on her interface.

"I'm tied up with another one, oh sh—!" Static wiped out the connection, and Houki full of righteous anger fought back even harder. Tatenashi stabbed the IS with her Heavy Lancer to send it towards the ground.

The IS managed to move from being pinned from the lance. "Ugh, this thing's really hard. Houki! Activate the rear armor, then give me a push."

Houki powered her boosters to support Tatenashi as they pinned down the unmanned IS against the shield barrier.

The IS grabbed the blade, showing resistance, much to the bewilderment of Houki and Tatenashi.

"What's the plan?"

"We're going to break through that unmanned IS unit's armor."

"But how?!"

Tatenashi stated the obvious without a clear answer. "We're just going to do it!" She showed her serious side while firing the 4-barrel gatling guns, battering the enemy IS in all directions.

"You ain't see nothing yet! I still have a few tricks up sleeve!" Tatenashi drew water on Heavy Lance for the finale, but that left her upper body vulnerable as the IS slashed her left rib cage.

Leaving no other options left, Tatenashi had to do a risky move, knowing well it'll cost their lives. "Houki! Now, switch all your settings to defense, or it'll suck you in!"

"But, you just…"

"I'm immortal, didn't you know that?"

At first, Houki refused, but reluctantly accepted after seeing Tatenashi struggling to attack. Tatenashi drew all the power at its highest peak as bright light beamed.

"Take this…Mysterious Lady's maximum firepower!"

"No! Don't do it!" Houki pleaded at Tatenashi.

"Now, this will teach you, **ENGAGEEEEEE!** "

 **Boom!** A huge fireball exploded half of the Stadium, seemingly consumed Houki and Tatenashi in the process. Ichika didn't want to assume the worst as he tried to pick up a signal from them, but no connection.

He got distracted from the commotion until the IS attacked. Kanzashi pushed Ichika out of the way to block the offense.

"Watch out! I'll handle this! " said Kanzashi full of determination.

"Kanzashi?" Ichika wondered how she became serious, not reserved, but Kanzashi wasted no time about her change of characteristics.

"Orimura, go check the condition of the gate over there!" Ichika complied as she and the IS face off one-on-one.

"Back! You're not getting pass me, you bitch!"

Chifuyu and Maya witnessed multiple enemy IS attacking in different directions.

"I'm detecting some type of unknown energy emerging from the enemy IS unit's arms, and now we're experiencing problem with shield barrier deployment. Absolute defense has been nullified!"

"That must be an anti Infinite Stratos IS. Well played, Big Tiger, well played."

* * *

Big Tiger activated another code should the IS fail to destroy its targets. " **Duet ming gam** (Life without principle.)"

Big Tiger walked towards the crowd, eyeballing to make sure he was not being followed, or so he thought. If he made the code less public, perhaps Big Tiger could escape. An undercover officer tailed Big Tiger as he informed the others on his hidden mic.

" **Ngaan kau ji bo dui yut, dai lo foo boon bing duet ming gam, jun bei juk na keoi.**

(Eyeball to Unit 1, Big Tiger called in life without principle, get ready to arrest him."

" **Ming baak.** (Understood) Standby until he appears in our sight." The officer said. While nearby officers take in position, the undercover officer trailed Big Tiger.

* * *

The IS fired automatic lasers as Kanzashi avoided the onslaught. She called in Ichika, but her interface showed an injured Tatenashi laying on the crumbled mess surrounded by small flames. Her eyes widened, mouth opened in shock that Tatenashi, her dear older sister failed to move from her suicidal attack. Kanzashi rarely talked to her, but seeing her in a bad condition broke her emotions.

"No…NOOOOOO!" Kanzashi yelled, attacking the IS head on. Blinded by rage and vengeance, Kanzashi assaulted the IS furiously. "How dare you…how dare you! My SISTER…NOOOOOO!"

"DIIIEEE!" Kanzashi slashed overhead, but the IS swiped her naginata away. However, Kanzashi caught the IS, fired two large cannons repeatedly to drag it down. She prepared for an execution shot, cannons charging up dose of energy.

"THIS ENDS NOW!" The shot exploded similar to Tatenashi's suicidial attack, but Kanzashi survived that blew the IS arms away. The explosion also revealed a core, as she draws up her cannons. What appears to be victory when suddenly, her weapon power depleted, much to her dismay.

Behind her, another IS threw the unconscious Ichika at Kanzashi. Out of hope and energy, Kanzashi tried to call Ichika, but no avail. "Ichika! Ichika!"

Scattered parts of the remaining IS attached itself to the surviving IS as it walked towards the hopeless Kanzashi, throwing Ichika away, and raised its right arm to stab her.

 _This is it I just…can't do it. I'm not…good enough. Ichika, I'm sorry I couldn't help you I'm so useless. I'm sorry that I was ever born. In the real world, there are no heroes that don't exist._

Out of nowhere, Tatenashi sacrificed Kanzashi by taking a stab wound on her back, and collapsed.

"No…SSSIIISSS!" Deep within her subconscious, Kanzashi called out Tatenashi.

"Big sister! Big sister!"

"Hehe! How long has it been since you called me that?"

"I thought you were…how did you…big sister…impossible!"

"No it isn't."

"Yes it is! Because in this world, there are no heroes!"

"No there aren't," said Ichika. "There's no perfect invincible hero. The heroes from our fantasies, they never get to laugh, and they don't get to cry either."

Ichika smiled at Kanzashi to give her some encouragement. "But I'm human, so I cry, and I laugh. I lose sometimes too, but I don't give up, and if the choice means losing my friends, then I'll fight!"

"But aren't you, aren't you afraid to die?"

"Of course I am, but if I run away, how can I be able to live with myself?"

Kanzashi fell to her knees sobbing Ichika wasn't afraid to die because she was too afraid to stand up for herself. "Then I'm just…I'm just…I'm just a coward!"

"But who cares? Doesn't matter if you're weak or dirty or have no courage, you're still human!" said Tatenashi, smiling.

"But big sis, I wanted to be…"

"It's all right, my dear Kanzashi, no one's perfect! The trick is accepting your weaknesses, and then you can beat them because…"

"I'm just human?"

Tatenashi smiled. "That's right! And besides, you're my sister, and I'm proud of you!"

In the present time, Kanzashi was encouraged to fight on thanks to Ichika and Tatenashi.

"I'll finish this for you, big sister," said Kanzashi.

Tatenashi handed her an encore crystal. "This is a good luck charm, use it when you really need it. Good luck, freshman."

Somehow, Houki appeared okay, fighting the combined IS that attacked stabbed Tatenashi.

"Ichika, Liu, status report, answer me!"

"I'm good!" said Liu, firing at the IS, denting some damage. "Fortissimo kicks ass!"

Ichika woke up, seeing Houki on her interface as he slowly got up. "Houki?"

"Can you use your Reiraku Byakuya?" His weapons power ran out of juice, which meant he couldn't use Byakushiki's One Off Ability.

"I'm out of power."

"Then I'll have to use my Kenran Buto, but I'll have to buy some time!" Nearly caught by the explosion again, Houki hurried towards Ichika as Kanzashi distracted the IS. They grabbed hands as her Kenran Buto glowed gold energy, smiling on to fight for round two against the IS.

"Uchigane Nishiki, manual guidance system activate, ready warhead missiles one through forty-eight, setting trajectories to manual control, lend me your power!" She fired warhead missiles at the IS, avoiding the chasing projectiles, but a few landed a strike. However, it's still standing, firing lasers in response as Houki blocked the attack.

"Akatsubaki, I'm counting on you, let's show what we can do!" A blaster crossbow formed on her arms, extending fold-out armor, not before leaving an instructions manual, which she has no time to read.

"Ok, enough with the techno math already! Those arms are mine!" Houki fired twin energy arrows that struck the IS arms into pieces. Ichika slashed the remaining arms, and Kanzashi fired more warhead missiles at the armless IS. Multiple explosions gulfed the IS, but once the smoke clears, it still won't go down. However, the encore crystal stabbed the core, and Tatenashi snapped her finger, and the crystal exploded before the IS engulfed into crystal.

The remaining IS were destroyed thanks to the combined efforts of Laura, Charlotte, Cecilia, Rin, and Liu. The fight was over, they high five at each other for the job well done. Tatenashi and Ichika were proud at Kanzashi's new profound confidence.

* * *

 **Time: 5:50PM - Infimary**

Kanzashi waited for Tatenashi to wake up in a hospital bed. Tatenashi survived with some injuries, but Kanzashi was glad she was still breathing.

"Big sister!"

"Oh, Kanzashi, oww!"

Tatenashi tried to get up, but the stab wound on her back made her lay down.

"Try not to move," said Kanzashi. "You could reopen your wounds."

Tears bubbled up on Kanzashi's eyelids again when Tatenashi finally repair their relationships.

"I wonder how many years has it been since the last time we talked like this?" Tatenashi stared at her little sister as she thought back of her actions on Ichika.

"I guess I owe this opportunity to Ichika, why did I ask him to do this? Did I want to cling to him and rely on his kindness?"

"Big sister, is something wrong? Your face is turning red."

"Oh! It must be the sunset."

"Uh huh, is that what it is?"

Kanzashi lost a train of thoughts as she tried to hide her emotions. Seeing Tatenashi wrapped in bandages and the incident made her emotions released as tears bubbled up her eyelids.

"Sis? I'm...I'm sorry about everything, and I mean...I'm such a bad sister..."

Kanzashi was on the verge of crying until Tatenashi wiped her tears away. "That's not true. Actually, you're my dear little sister, and you're growing up to be so strong!"

"I...I...big sister...big sister...!" Kanzashi couldn't finish her sentence, and cried onto Tatenashi of how grateful she was that they rekindled their relationships. Tatenashi smiled on as Kanzashi finally released her feelings.

* * *

Maya and Chifuyu brought in the remaining unmanned IS units to the lab for further examination.

"They turned out to be advanced unmanned units with unregistered cores," said Maya. "We only manage to get two of them."

"Inform the government that they all have been destroyed."

Maya was stunned to hear Chifuyu's bold action to hide the cores. "But ma'am, if we do something like this, the whole school could be in jeopardy!"

"Don't worry! Have you forgotten who you're talking to? I think I can protect this school, and as a matter of fact, I bet my life on it."

Big Tiger sweated profusely at the unmanned IS destroyed from the hands of IS Academy. "I don't believe this! A bunch of kids thwarted the IS?! Now I can't get my hands on the bonuses!"

Unaware police officers were ready to pounce on him, Big Tiger turned around, and punched a person behind him in frustration. He did not realized the man he assaulted was an undercover officer. Big Tiger's stupidity allowed the undercover officer to trail him without being noticed. He revealed his badge, and karma was truly a bitch.

" **Heung gong ging chaat, mai yuk!** (Hong Kong Police Force, don't move!)"

" **Gui sau tau gong!** (Hands up and surrender!)" The police officers ordered Big Tiger to have his hands up as they pointed their batons and Smith & Wesson Model 10 revolvers. People involved in the standoff ran away to not get hurt. The officer grabbed Big Tiger's arms, and laid him on the hood of the police car. While he patted down to make sure no weapons were found on him, Big Tiger struggled to resist, but it was futile with officers all over him.

" **Nei hai dou luen gong mat ye? Ngoh gong, mai yuk!** (What the hell are you doing? I said, don't move!)"

Big Tiger cannot afford to go to jail for a harsh sentence the judge might give. His adrenaline increased, as he looked left, right, and struggled to break free from the grasp of the officer. He headbutted him, elbowed his stomach, and slammed him against the police car, running off.

" **Ting dai! Dai lo foo hai paai bou!** (Stop! Big Tiger is running!)" Dozens of police offcers chase Big Tiger, as he aggressively pushed people aside.

"Pursuing wanted fugitive on foot, send backup," said the police officer on his walkie talkie. Big Tiger knocked down a wooden stand that slowed dome some officers, but a few jumped through it. Nearby officers joined in the pursuit to aid their fellow colleagues in need, and closed off some streets to keep the civilians from harm. Big Tiger took ridiculous levels to evade the cops by barging through apartment complexes, leaving the residents shocked. The cops surrounded the apartment to prevent Big Tiger from escaping. Big Tiger took a 20ft jump off the ground that nearly broke his fall. He ran hard enough to hide in a decrepit abandoned house.

Officers didn't give up that easily as they searched every streets and shelters carefully. While he took a breather, someone knocked on the door. Afraid it was the cops on his tail; Big Tiger did not open the door.

"This is not the cops, open up," said a female voice.

"O-okay…" Big Tiger peeped through the door eye, but he got a rude welcoming from a sledgehammer that cracked the door open, knocking him backwards. The door crasher was Kaori in a ghastly Smiley mask as she savagely punched Big Tiger senselessly. He cowered in fear against the stinging punches as it bit through his skin.

Kaori picked up a sledgehammer and smashed Big Tiger's pelvis, smacked him with a vodka bottle, and then rammed the broken bottle into his cheek.

"You're stupid as hell," said Kaori, grabbing a beer bottle, and smacked him in the face. "A crook does not spend his money right after the score."

Big Tiger was in too much pain to speak up, even though he opened his mouth, but words won't come out. Kaori watched him squirming like a battered worm, recollecting his thoughts that crashed down on him. Kaori pulled out a Smith & Wesson Model 500 to shove it against his jaw.

"Woah, woah, woah! Calm down…"

Kaori did not take orders from a gullible IS dealer as she shot him in the left femur. The .500 Magnum punctured his skin and bone, yelping in pain. Again, Kaori shot his right kneecap, twice. With that kind of damage, Big Tiger will not be able to walk again.

"GGAAAAHHHH!" Big Tiger screamed top of his lungs, but Kaori kicked him in the face to shut him up. She dragged the unconscious man to the rooftop as he regained his senses, struggling from her firm hands.

"Please don't! Three Dragons set this up! I swear!"

Big Tiger tried to pin the blame on Three Dragons for a setup, but his actions backfired because it was all of his wrongdoings.

"Sure, Three Dragons will be happy to hear that when there's more money waiting for you down there."

Kaori revealed her lovely face as she snatched his expensive shades and threw him down the pavement. Big Tiger screamed to his doom, and died instantly from skull fracture and fatal brain damage from hitting the concrete pavement. Small puddle of blood flooded as Big Tiger's face remained shocked. Kaori cleaned the shades as she calmly left the scene. While the cops quarantined the murder scene, a police officer informed Chifuyu.

"Miss. Orimura, Big Tiger has been deceased. Coroners said the cause of death appeared to be a suicide."

"A shame he should have been alive to face his charges, but very well then, Orimura out."

* * *

 **Time: 9:35AM - Room 1025**

Kanzashi was holding a brown paper bag as she stared at the door of her hero. To show gratitude, Kanzashi made another present for Ichika to show how she feels.

"This is it, I have to let him know, just tell him how I feel."

Kanzashi knocked the door, and Ichika appeared, moderately surprised to see her turned into a new leaf.

"Kanzashi! What's up?"

"Well, um...here, this is for you, Ichika."

Ichika grabbed the content, which was an anime show Kanzashi loved. Kanzashi hoped Ichika liked the gift because she figured out Ichika would share the same interest in anime.

"Hey, I used to watch this all the time! You never knew what you love until you find it, you too, huh?"

Kanzashi nodded that she liked anime as well, but she's trying to tell him she likes Ichika a lot. Kanzashi tried to say something else, but instead, she ran away, hiding in a corner. Kanzashi believed she said, "I like Ichika", but it turns out, she inadvertently said, "I like anime", much to her embarrassment.

* * *

A/N: A quick note that I chose Cantonese because it's the primary language in Hong Kong, pardon the sloppy Pinyin.


	11. I'll Spit My Sadness Away

**Opening song: G-Eazy - Don't Let Me Go Ft. Grace**

 **Time: 7:50PM - Rin's Dorm**

Liu went through hell and back, starting with the skills to pilot an IS, sent to IS Academy for protection, and recently, repelling unmanned IS units. Liu went back to his dorm, and discovered a black duffel bag on Rin's bed. He recognized the fabric as he looked around before he slowly opened the bag. Liu was shocked upon seeing the contents: huge stacks of cash wrapped in rubber bands in Yen, Yuan, and US Dollars.

However, there was more than just a money bag, it also had a Mac-11 with dozens of magazines taped 'jungle-style', gun cleaning kit, M26 Grenades, Noh mask, bulletproof vest, and business clothing. Liu's eyes widened that someone had the nerve to deliver contraband into IS Academy. He didn't know who and why they would send it to him until a note dangled onto the handle.

"Remember the score we pulled off before we went separate ways? This is your long time buddy, Hong. Hope goes well with your life; we're going to hit Three Dragons' operation because you once said whoever is still standing gets to kill this asshole. I'm giving you a choice; Pick up the duffel bag, you'll see us on the other side. However, if I don't receive a word within midnight, we'll act like this never happened, and cut off forever." - Hong

Liu felt sick to his stomach; he thought his crew disappeared forever the last time they robbed an armored truck and got separated. It turns out they survived the ordeal with the money still untouched. Liu's mind twists and turns as he compared the choices. Taking the duffel bag means there's no turning back to kill his nemesis. However, if that failed, there will be harsher consequences along the way. On the other hand, rejecting the hit would keep Liu safe from harm, but he's still unsure if his crew will survive without him, and Three Dragons might kill them to draw him out.

The lingering effects of his personal scores affect him so great it tore Liu up mentally, despite a promise he made with Rin. Liu attempted to not look at the duffel bag, but in the end, he examined the black machine pistol. Liu disassembled each guns to clean the parts before reassembling it back, loading up ammunition.

 _Forgive me, you'll hate me for doing this._ Liu mentally spoke repeatedly that he made a choice he hated, wishing the duffel bag didn't exist. Liu's intense hatred against Three Dragons clouded his judgment. Liu changed into his business clothing, donning the yellow, black and red mask. Liu felt like the mask ate his whole face that became his new identity. Liu slung his duffel bag, sneaking out of IS Academy. He was near the monorail station until someone stopped him in his tracks.

"Where do you think you're going?" said an unknown voice. Liu artlessly turned around, pointing his Mac 11, and he was shocked to see a familiar face.

"R-Rin…?"

Liu and Rin were lost of words seeing each other. Rin could not believe Liu's getup clothes, the duffel bag, and the gun aimed at her stomach. Rin did so much to keep Liu out of his personal vendettas, but Liu still didn't learn. Rin's left eye twitched, having the urge to rip Liu's mask in half for hiding his face like a coward.

"A sad miserable fool you are, after the promise you made? You were thinking to kill Three Dragons, were you?" Rin raised her voice on the edge to being angry as Liu's fingertip were off the trigger.

"Can't keep a fish in a tank," said Liu, shaking his voice. "They're suppose to be in water in open seas swimming freely, not confined in a small space."

Rin smiled briefly to quell her anger, but still disappointed at his choice he made. "I see you got a new gun, how does it run?"

"I'll find out once I squeeze the trigger, better back off." Liu's index finger shake, struggling to fire the gun at Rin, his savior that guided him life. Now, it looked like he tore the link apart.

"Go on, shoot me." Rin taunted, extending her arms like a target dummy to provoke Liu killing her.

"Shut up..." Liu felt anger, vengeance consuming him.

"Criminals like you amaze me-"

"Shut up..."

"You don't have the balls to-"

"Rin, I said shut up..."

"I'm right here, a defenseless, little girl that has no powers. Whatever do I do-"

"SHUT THE HELL UP, YOU BACKSTABBING CHINK!" Liu yelled, firing a single round at Rin's face. What appeared Liu shot Rin point blank, but upon closer look, the bullet gazed Rin's right cheek with blood dripping from the cut. Liu slightly shaken at Rin, who still appeared the same. Rin chuckled distorted like a insane mental patient, walking closer to Liu.

"You're one hell of a shot," said Rin, clenching her right fist. "But, not even close enough!"

Rin partial deployed Shenlong, and punched Liu in the face with great force that knocked him over. His mask detached his face from the impact. Rin felt slapping Liu was not enough, so she punched him with a partial deployed IS to get his senses together. Rin grabbed Liu by the collar.

"Look at how much work I did to keep your ass out of trouble!" Rin shouted at his face, tightening her grip. "I told you not to think about vendettas, yet you didn't even listen!"

Liu shot back. "Three Dragons is still breathing to kill me over Sockdolager! That's the best solution you can think of?"

"Dumbass! Chifuyu's taking care of it, and you didn't believe me and her. I swear that you have no self-control!"

"Then what's the status report, huh? Is he dead, alive, or cops sent the death penalty?"

Liu and Rin stared at each other like friends now turned enemies. "I thought so. Sometimes, I question why you're keeping me in a cage, where I could have finished where I started long time ago."

"For obvious reason so you don't get killed over your antics!" Rin thought back saving Liu not once, but twice. "I should have let you died in China, then I wouldn't be in this predicament!"

"And the happily ever after, how fucking great! You never stepped into my shoes before, I like to see you do that!"

"I don't need to! Unlike you, I'm a Representative of the homeland of China, not a crook!"

"Ok, your highness, I guess we can't even speak anymore with our differences!"

"Fine! Have it your way! Next time, don't go running after me because I don't need your help!"

"I don't need you anyway! Try to stop me, I'll be your worst nightmare you'll ever see!"

Liu adjusted his mask filled with malicious thoughts as he stomped away to make his fate. Rin walked away angrily that Liu was fiercely stubborn and a loose cannon. Like a broken chain, they didn't bother to look back. Liu stepped into the monorail, alone in the metal car, looking at his Mac 11. Liu shook his head that he broke his ties with Rin, wishing he could fix it, but it was too late. Liu shed a single tear as he tried to maintain his cool. Rin, alone in her dorm sat on the bed, trying to be angry, but she quietly sobbed.

Chifuyu heard Rin crying as she knocked on the door. "Rin, are you in there? I'm here to see Liu."

Rin instantly snapped hearing Liu. "DON'T YOU SAY LIU EVER AGAIN!" Rin screamed, crying at the same time. Chifuyu realized Liu snuck out to settle his scores, shaking her head in disgust.

"Liu has no idea what he's got into," Chifuyu muttered. "I'll make him regret it should he attempt to step foot here."

* * *

Liu was outside of IS Academy, not looking back as he fixated on the plan to hit Three Dragons' operation. On the horizon, Liu recognized the black Mercedes Benz S550 as it came to a stop. The passenger door opened, and Liu went inside the grand saloon, driving away from IS Academy.

"It seems you still have the cars from the armor truck heist. How did you figure out my location?" Liu questioned. His crew, Zhang, Xu, and Hong were attired in business clothing. They were also wearing Noh masks, except for Xu that had a Hannya mask.

"I gave it to some crazy bitch in a maid outfit," said Hong. "I told her to give it to you right away, but she deliberately sent it to this weird boarding school."

"What? Who was it?"

"I don't know her name, did she do something that got you riled up?"

"Fuck...I think I heard of her, she sent Righteousness Union dealers into ICU. Shit! She might be the creator of Infinite Stratos!"

All were stunned to hear the news that they ran afoul with the genius. Liu heard of her so many times when Righteousness Union mentioned about her and the IS.

"Remember when Righteousness Union tried to sell an IS? I know what they are now, and Three Dragons the bastard has acquired them too."

Liu was like the leader because the others had no proper knowledge while he knows it. To make things worse, their hated enemy has become a threat with his hands on the mass weapons of destruction.

"Oh this is why I called you here to end this!"

Hong exclaimed, loading up his AEK-971 filled with hollow rounds. Zhang clutched his OSW SA58 duct-taped magazines, Liu holding his QBZ-95, and Xu's suppressed FN P90 with EOtech holographic sight in the trunk. They came prepared with modifications on their guns for a serious hit.

"Xu, I'm starving. Do you know a place where we can grab dinner?"

"I got it covered."

As they drive deep into the underworld society, Liu slowly turned back into his old ways as all hopes were lost to turn him back.


	12. Never Call Me Your Adorable Man

**Opening song: $uicideboy$ - I Want to Believe**

Chifuyu had a stern expression, folding her arms as she stared at her notes and pictures on the wall related to Liu, Three Dragons, Phantom Task, and Righteousness Union. She was in a bad mood when she heard Rin crying at Liu for leaving IS Academy. Every time Chifuyu compared Liu and Three Dragons, she shook her head in disgust. Chifuyu has plans to take down Phantom Task, Three Dragons and Righteousness Union. If possible, she could try to change Liu into a new leaf.

Rin's eyes were hollow, swollen red from crying the entire time. Rin couldn't stop thinking of Liu leaving for his selfish purposes. Only her and Chifuyu know Liu's background, but Ichika and the gang are not aware. If they found out, their relationships might be ruined.

 _Fine! Have it your way! Next time, don't go running after me because I don't need your help!_

 _I don't need your help anyway! Try to stop me, I'll be your worst nightmare you'll ever see!_

Rin grasped her hair in despair, trying not to remember her last words she said. The everlasting words left a mental burn inside her. She decided to not think about Liu as she slept through the night.

* * *

 **Time: 8:32AM – Cafeteria**

Houki, Cecilia, Rin, and Laura glared intently at Kanzashi like mad watchdogs. Kanzashi nervously stared at the table as Rin dropped the first bomb.

"Well?"

Charlotte sat next to Kanzashi to calm Rin down. "There, there, Rin, please calm down. Look! You're scaring poor Kanzashi."

"Halt! Charlotte, stop this now. Under normal circumstances, I would torture her, or use the truth serum."

"Do not say such things, Laura. Here, this is for you, Kanzashi. You are probably thirsty, no?"

Charlotte glowed with glee as she handed Kanzashi a glass of orange juice. While she happily drank the Vitamin C drink, Charlotte replaced her happy face with a devilish smile.

"Now tell us, what's going on?"

Houki and Charlotte slammed the table on Kanzashi.

"Yeah, spill it! What we want to get to the bottom of here is whether you and Ichika are…"

"The two of you are actually dating!"

Kanzashi blushed by their accusations, having no idea how to respond to their hard-hitting questions.

"I…really there isn't like that with me and Ichika…"

The girls growled even more, leaning closer towards Kanzashi to hear more about Ichika. They want to be sure Kanzashi was not lying.

"You said Ichika?!"

"You're on the first same basis too?!" Houki screamed.

Kanzashi played with her fingers to deny. "It's kind of hard to explain…it's not that I hope something will happen, but so far in real life, we're not like that."

The girls were bewildered in silence before they sigh in relief, laughing amongst each other.

"Looks like we read too much into it, haven't we?"

"Yeah, I apologize about the Spanish Inquisitions, Sarashiki."

"Umm, you can call me Kanzashi if you wish."

"Cool! Then you can call us by our first name too."

Kanzashi became friends with the girls as they head to practical training. Rin felt slightly better not thinking about Liu. Even though Rin said some harsh words to Liu, she didn't really mean it. She secretly still cares for his well being because Rin was responsible for bringing Liu back to life, and she can't let him die.

* * *

 **Time: 9:46AM – Infirmary**

Ichika appeared agitated sitting on a chair as Maya entered the room with a clipboard on her hand.

"My apologies for making you to wait so long, Ichika," Maya said. "Everyone should be here soon, and here's your special measuring tape!"

Ichika appeared disgusted holding the measuring tape. "What am I suppose to do with this measuring tape?"

"That's for taking body measurements," Maya explain the situation. "In the wake of the attack by unmanned IS units, we realize we must improve our IS suits, and precise body measures will be important."

Ichika sighed at the obvious. "I understand that, but why am I the one taking the measurements?!"

"I had my doubts too, but the student council already voted through."

Ichika gasped in horror that Tatenashi purposely set him up to take body measurements to tease him. Ichika imagined Tatenashi laughing with her evil aura.

"What the hell could this twisted school be thinking?!"

"What are blabbering on now, you blockhead?"

Chifuyu had her hands on the hips, giving away an angry posture.

"Big sister Chifuyu-AAHH!"

Chifuyu smacked Ichika with her clipboard when he didn't address her properly.

"That's Miss. Orimura here! I don't know why you can just follow through your duty like you're supposed to?"

"Come on, this is not a regular duty," Ichika complained. "I was set up!"

Chifuyu frowned at her brother's antics. "Do you have to be a drama queen over everything? I got the solution to solve all your problems."

Chifuyu gave Ichika a black blindfold, which he gladly accepted the gift.

 _Thank you, big sister Chifuyu, thank you Miss. Orimura!_

Ichika wore the blindfold, but much to his major disappointment, it can see through, rendering it useless.

Girls lined up to get their body measured by Ichika, happily talking among each other.

"Hey look, it's Orimura!" Kiyoka exclaimed.

"Is he really the one to take our measurements?" Yuko Tanimoto asked.

"Yoohoo, Orimū!" Nohohon popped up.

"Everyone please settle down! If each of you will strip down to your undergarments, we'll start the measuring, ok?"

Ichika didn't like to hear the directions Maya gave out.

"I'll be back recording the numbers that you call out, so whip out that measuring tape, and get started!"

Maya gently shoved Ichika back in the room as he tried to talk his way out, but she ignored him. Out of the frying pan, Kiyoka was ready to strip.

"Number one, here I go~! Ready or not, here I come~! Hehehehe~!"

Ichika begged Kiyoka not to strip, but too late, Kiyoka revealed herself in yellow bra and panties. She was excited to have Ichika measure her body, but Ichika was flabbergasted of her partially nude.

 _What to do, what to do? I'll do it without looking! I'll use my mind's eye, the third eye!_

"Excuse me, Orimura?"

"All right. First, I'll put the tape around, so hold your arms out, please."

Ichika closed his eyes as Kiyoka extended her arms out. Using his "third" eye, Ichika made his way to measure Kiyoka's upper waist. If Ichika actually opened his eyes, he would know where he was measuring. Ichika accidentally shoved his backhand onto Kiyoka's right breast.

 _That's not what I thought it was!_ Ichika thought to himself, feeling Kiyoka's soft breasts that was not meant to happen. Unfortunately, his clumsiness with the measuring tape groped her breasts.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing-Ahhh!"

Kiyoka moaned from the indirect orgasm, trying to scream for help as Ichika did his best to measure her body. All it created was a bad situation, and indecent act on a girl. Just as it couldn't get worse, Houki, Cecilia, Charlotte and Laura ripped the curtains down, super pissed off at Ichika's act.

"ICHIKA! YOU'RE DEAD!"

"What on God's name are you doing to her?!"

"No! This can't be happening!"

"Any last words…?"

All four pounced on Ichika as he tried to explain it was an accident. Ichika's screams and fury of justice beat down echoed through the sunny afternoon. After being served with harsh punishment, the body measurements went through without any more drama.

On the rooftop, Ichika, Houki, Cecilia, and Rin had their lunch prepared. Apparently, they were depressed over their measurements, except for Ichika.

"I'm shocked, my waist has increased by five centimeters."

"Yeah, well I gained some weight too, but my chest size remained the same." Rin was still sensitive about her bust size.

"Tsk…distortion of body means distortion of mind," said Houki. "I must increase my training time!"

"Man, girls sure do worry about crazy things," said Ichika, eating the bentobox. "And I can't tell any of that by looking at you."

"How could you be so insensitive towards us, Ichika? By the way, what is that you're eating for lunch today?"

"The bento Houki gave me." Ichika pointed at Houki, much to her surprise. Cecilia and Rin glared at her bold move.

"That was sneaky of you."

"Sneaky and completely unexpected."

"I-I just happened to make too much!"

"And her mistake is my pleasure because Houki's chicken breasts are incredible!"

While Houki glee from Ichika's honest compliment, Cecilia and Rin's glare pierced through the air.

"When it comes to pork, Rin is the best to make them."

Rin grinned like a fat kid that loves cake.

"And Charles' profiterole is oh la la! Everyone's an amazing cook!"

"Ichika…how about my cooking?"

Ichika knew Cecilia was not the best cook as Rin whispered into his ear to tell the truth.

"Hey, it's about time for you to give her a reality check, so you got to tell her!"

Rin leaned in closer to Ichika's eardrum. "Cecilia's cooking is shit!"

"What?! I can't tell her like that!"

"Think of how many lives you'll save!"

Cecilia became suspicious between Ichika and Rin's private conversation. "Hey! I demand to know what you two are whispering about. Ichika, I asked you what you thought about my cooking!"

Before Ichika could open his mouth, Charlotte and Laura appeared. "Bonjour! Sorry to keep you waiting, and Kanzashi's here."

Kanzashi revealed herself from hiding behind Charlotte, slightly shy. "Hello, everyone."

"Hey Kanzashi! Come sit next to me."

While the others exchange lunches, Cecilia was aware no one appreciated her cooking. It became clear her cooking was the worst that can make anyone turn away in a heartbeat.

* * *

 **Time: 9:50PM – Room 1025**

Cecilia held a brown sack with an unknown content trying to break free, and Houki was unsure why she brought it.

"Let me thank you in advance, I will sincerely appreciate it."

"C-Cecilia?"

"I have decided that in order to improve my culinary abilities, I want to learn more about the cuisine from everyone else's own country!"

Cecilia shifted her body left to right in excitement to cook.

"Furthermore, since your bentobox is scrumptious, I would love to teach me how to cook!"

"I see, that certainly makes me feel good to hear that, so I'd be down to assist."

"Thank you so much! The first thing to do is teach me how to prepare fried chicken!"

Cecilia unwrapped the sack, and a live chicken flew out, much to Houki's dismay.

"W-what is that doing over there?"

"That's a Grade A capon chicken! I'll assure you that's the best one sent to me."

"Actually, I already got chicken, so you can take that back."

"Oh how sad, but there's always Christmas Eve dinner, isn't that right?"

Cecilia's eyes sharpened like a ravage bull shark, and the chicken had no idea he was about to be skewered for the holiday.

Houki prepared the ingredients of chicken thigh, eggs, salt, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger as Cecilia watch.

"Ok, time to cook. First, let's cut the chicken thigh to bite size pieces, then we'll add some salt, and let it sit for a while."

Cecilia nodded her head, watching Houki cutting the chicken thigh in half.

"Next, we'll prepare the ginger and garlic that we'll drop in, ok?"

"You got it!"

Cecilia literally dropped the ginger and garlic, and she did not hear Houki carefully when she meant to put it in the fryer pan later.

"Not literally," said Houki. "Can you warm up the oil, please?"

Again, Cecilia's thick head didn't take close attention as she hugged the canola oil like a newborn baby.

"Not like that!" Houki scolded at Cecilia's incompetence.

"Now it's time to remove them from the oil. After that, we'll let it rest for three minutes, ok?"

Houki was about to make the finishing touches; a phone rang out, leaving Cecilia to do the rest.

"Something's missing, the appearance appears to be boring," Cecilia commented on the already finished chicken thighs. "I'll add a sprinkle of perfume for aroma. Ahh! Plus, I'll put this for the glaze."

Cecilia used hot mustard for the finishing touches as Houki returned to see the results.

"Hey, is it done?"

"Yes! I just added the finishing touches."

"Wow! It looks amazing."

"Please, have a taste to find out yourself."

The appearance may look pretty, but Houki was not aware Cecilia added preposterous ingredients made inedible. Once Houki took the first bite, the next day, she fell ill.

* * *

 **Time: 9:32AM – Room 1-1**

Ichika and Charlotte look at Houki's empty desk, wondering where she could have gone.

"It seems that Miss. Shinonono called in sick, so she won't be with us."

"That's odd, she never calls in sick. What happened to her?"

"I talked to her last night on the phone, she was fine."

* * *

 **Time: 11:46PM – Charlotte's Dorm**

Cecilia did not give up that easily, still eager to learn how to polish her cooking skills. Despite the failed cooking session last night, she maintained her ambitions to be a great cook.

"Thank you in advance! I do sincerely appreciate it."

"Not a problem at all, I just got the ingredients for the food to prepare for Houki."

Charlotte led the way as they head towards the kitchen.

"We can make them together!"

"What happened to Laura today?"

Charlotte shushed Cecilia. "Shhh! Laura was exhausted, and went to bed when she came back."

Laura in her cat pajamas slept in a fetal position, taking the bed all by herself. Charlotte sliced the lettuce into pieces as Cecilia sliced the sausages in diagonal pieces. Cecilia was proud of her basic cooking skills because Houki taught her how to cook food.

"It was going well until for some reason, Houki fallen ill."

Cecilia chimed in as Charlotte had a face of pure terror while the British girl hummed happily chopping the sausages.

"Oh, did she now?"

Charlotte didn't want to assume the worst Houki fell ill because of Cecilia's cooking. She was right, but Charlotte called it bluff because she was cooking with Cecilia together. Cecilia watched the pot of soup simmer for three minutes until Laura thrashed and threw things around.

"Excuse me for a minute…can you keep an eye out? Laura tends to thrash around when she has a nightmare."

The ill-fated session has begun as Cecilia stared at the simmering soup. Cecilia does the same thing again, making the soup beautiful, but poisonous. The second victim was Charlotte, tasting the soup, and heading back to sleep. At two in the morning, Laura woke up, hungry to look something to eat. She took a sample of the poisonous soup, and she became the third victim to Cecilia's horrendous cooking.

* * *

 **Time: 9:57PM – Rin's Dorm**

Rin sat on her chair, minding her own business until Cecilia appeared for another cooking session.

"So, you want to learn how to make sweet and sour pork?"

"Yes I do, Rin, truly!"

Rin had a disgruntled expression onto her face, knowing well Cecilia can be disastrous on the kitchen.

"Are you kidding me? Cooking with you is signing a death warrant."

"Please! This is the only time we can do it!"

"I don't want to die!"

Cecilia grasped Rin's hands, begging her to teach her how to cook. With the puppy dog face and the bandages around her fingers, Rin couldn't refuse Cecilia's sincere looks.

"Don't worry about my fingers, I was practicing with the knives," Cecilia said without shame. "But it's not too big of a deal."

Rin immediately stood up. "Fine! I'll teach you how to make sweet and sour pork, but you have to taste your own food."

Cecilia and Rin sautéed the vegetables and pork to prepare the meal. So far, Cecilia did not mess up as Rin watched her.

"Not bad! This is where I turn up the heat until flames come ripping out."

"Until the flames rip out?"

"That's right! Chinese food is all about firepower. Anyway, we can't have flames with electric stove."

Before Rin could explain about fire, Cecilia literally took the words by heart to ignite a fire on a electric stove. Two words 'electric stove' and 'fire' do not go together, but Cecilia was determined to make it happen.

"Let me handle that!"

In one second, Cecilia partial deployed her BT, aiming at the electric stove. Rin thought Cecilia took it as a joke, but she impulsively fired a laser on the electric stove and **Boom!** Rin's dorm turned into a smoldering mess of smoke and fire.

* * *

A motorcade of black Range Rover Sport, BMW 550i, and Hyundai Genesis, followed by Kaori in her personal yellow Lamborghini made its way down city streets. The drivers and passengers were Phantom Task soldiers accompanying Kaori for protection. Kaori could have use Phoenix to get to her destination faster, but she can't afford to create unwanted attention like last time.

The bluetooth audio rang, and Squall was on the line. Kaori wished Three Dragons or Madoka called her.

"How far are you from the destination?"

"Five minutes away."

"Very well then, I'll see you tonight. I had to put some of my best soldiers to accompany you not after what happened to your…incident."

Kaori groaned, wishing Squall did not bring the topic up, and not being protected by Phantom Task soldiers. "Yeah yeah, I won't cause any trouble, signing off."

Kaori hanged up as they cruise at casual speed. They arrived at a restaurant own by Phantom Task staff members as they bow in respect. The restaurant is one of their hideouts to conduct 'legitimate' business meetings, weapons smuggling, and money laundering. Criminals from all over the world hang out at this very restaurant. Phantom Task soldiers set their Vz.82 Skorpion, QCW-05, and HK G36C on the table as they dine on their fine meals and alcohols.

After three disastrous cooking sessions, Cecilia turned to Ichika as her last hope to cook. Ichika didn't understood Cecilia's sad expression, but he kindly took her to make rice balls. Ichika helped her make a rice ball by guiding her hands with his while standing behind her, causing her to blush, and asked him to show her again.

* * *

 **Time: 10:12PM – Phantom Task Restaurant**

"…"

Liu did not like the appearance of Kaori's Lamborghini and the convoy of black European sedans and SUVs. He and his crew could have shoot up the place, but the chances are, the patrons were armed as well. They ate their expensive meals as Kaori and Liu glanced each other. Phantom Task soldiers stared silently like rattlesnakes before they turned away, minding their own business.

"What's the plan?" said Liu.

Hong pulled out a paper scribbled with lines, dots, and squares.

"Three Dragons runs weapons smuggling operations at a car dealership. He keeps his laundered money; weapons come in the new cars, people scoop it up, money goes in and out."

"It's heavily guarded, those that are VIP can go in."

Xu was planning his approach already. He posed as an important client to pick up his new car.

"They won't let us in because of our young appearances." Zhang enquired. Liu was silent, wanted to know what Xu was thinking, being the most experienced in heists.

"Exactly, I'll make them open the doors for us." Hong smirked, brandishing his assault rifle.

"Liu and Zhang, once Hong ensured the guards won't enact security checkpoint, you can go through without trouble."

Xu drew circles to pinpoint each of their strike positions, writing the time and date.

"You three will scout every people and the cars from the inside out. If you see money or weapons, give me a heads up."

"How about you, Xu?" Hong claimed. "We need to take action when you say so."

"When you hear me say 'I have the juice', that's the go. Hong and I will control the crowd, Liu and Zhang will scoop up the money and the weapons cache. If anyone acts up, shoot them because we cannot leave witnesses."

This was the most elaborated scheme to hit Three Dragons' operations. A hit on Three Dragons' money machine can make him draw out of the shadows.

"Yummy! Mmm! These ribs are delicious~!" The young woman exclaimed that caught everyone's attention. She had purple eyes, and long purple pink hair, wearing the ridiculous bunny ears and overly cutesy maid dress. Squall and Kaori sat across Tabane as she enjoyed the delicious ribs and red wine.

"So, has everything suited your needs, Dr. Tabane?"

"Mmm I guess so, except for that soup that had sleeping drug in it, you know~"

Tabane laughed as her strong immune system was unaffected by the sleeping drug Squall fed her.

"Now as to the matter of providing Phantom Task with IS units, and my men with military grade weapons, have you made your decisions yet?"

"Hehehe no way! Sounds too much work. Hey, bring me some curd~!"

Tabane waved her rib like a spoiled five-year-old child as Squall chuckled to herself. Soldiers slowly touched their guns, anticipating the next move.

"I wonder what you'll think about this then."

Squall snapped her finger; Phantom Task soldiers pointed their guns at Tabane. Autumn appeared behind her, aiming her Tokarev TT-33. Being held at gunpoint from different angles can guarantee being killed instantly, but Tabane still kept her grin.

Tabane threw her fork and knife at Squall, which she dodged ahead of time. She flipped the table, disarmed Autumn, palm strike her in the stomach, and collar bone. Tabane kicked her towards the wine cellar, knocking her out. Glass shattered as dozens of red wine broke her fall.

Soldiers opened fire, careful not to shoot each other in a crossfire as Liu and his crew ducked beneath the table. Tabane moved in a flash, using Autumn's gun and fired back. Few got hit as some didn't give up to fire, but Tabane was too quick as she struck them like flies. Luckily, they came prepared wearing bulletproof vest that protected them from major injuries.

"Hold your fire! Defense positions!" Squall commanded at her soldiers, snapping her finger again. They protected themselves with ballistic shields to prepare for the worst. Kaori attempted to attack Tabane, but Squall restrained her.

"Settle down, there's no need to."

"Ah does my hair look ok? You see, I'm mentally and physically over engineered down to the cellular level~As it is, I'm afraid that Chi-chan's the only one who's good enough to challenge me~!"

Tabane gloated her cockiness until Madoka burst through the wall with Silent Zephyrs, aiming her Star Breaker. Tabane appeared ditsy at Silent Zephyrs, dodging Madoka's projectiles with ease. The ballistic shields held against the attacks that protected the soldiers from further harm. Liu took a peak, and couldn't believe his eyes when Tabane quickly disarmed Madoka instantly until she was left armor less.

Without warning, Liu deployed Sockdolager, and fired at Tabane, but proven futile when she deflected the bullets.

"Who the hell are you…?" Liu demanded at the creator of IS.

"Hmm~? I don't recognize you. Oh wait, I see you have activated Sockdolager hehehe~!"

To his surprise, Liu growled, wasting no time to play games.

"Call me Tabane the Genius~!"

Liu's blood froze meeting Tabane face to face. He was unsettled every time Tabane laughed over everything.

"Maybe you didn't know, it is I'm the one that reverse engineered Sockdolager~"

"You what?!"

"Don't take it too seriously~What's your name? Aah, it's Liu King-Sang~your organization, Righteousness Union was a headache hahaha~!"

"How did you know my name?" Liu was close to squeeze the trigger at Tabane's head.

"Silly boy, Righteousness Union were annoying to deal with, so why not reverse engineered Sockdolager to see who can activate it first~!"

Tabane's laughter has pushed Liu to the edge. Lost of his words Tabane was behind the Sockdolager incident, he gritted his teeth, clenching his fists to unleash the rage sealed in his body.

"YOOOOOU BITCHHHHH!" Liu screamed, charging to attack. Tabane tapped Liu front and back, and Sockdolager disappeared like a magic trick. Undeterred, Liu attacked again, and Tabane punched him in the stomach, and threw him face first to the ground. Liu's crew tried to retaliate, and Tabane make quick work by knocking them out with flurry of punches and kicks.

Tabane laughed even more at Liu and Madoka.

"Hahaha~! You and Three Dragons are the only Righteousness Union members that entertained me, unlike those other Righteousness Union losers~!"

"Why you...!" Liu shouted as Tabane turned her attention at Madoka.

"So what's your name~? Let's playing a guessing game, you must be…Madoka Orimura~?"

Everyone couldn't bear Tabane's over energetic personality that ran around like a happy child.

"Hahaha I win, I win, yay for me~! I don't mind making a personal IS for these two cuties~"

Tabane laid her right arm on Liu's neck, and the other on Madoka's hands. Liu had enough of Tabane's crazy antics, trying to break free.

"IS are for women, but you and Three Dragons fought over it that left me no choice~!"

"Crazy hoe..." Liu gasped for air as Tabane used her strength to tighten her grip on Liu.

"That means you two can come with me now~! Let me keep them, please? Let me keep them~"

"Sorry, but that can be problematic." Squall replied. "But since you insist, feel free to do so."

"Yay~! So, Ma Chiwawa and Liu-Liu, what kind of personal IS do you want~? Long range, close combat, or even special armor type~?"

Liu hated the nickname Tabane made up, reminding him like an over pampered Japanese Spitz.

"Well, we can discuss it later~I can hardly wait to introduce you to Ku-chan~it'll be great~!"

Tabane dragged Liu and Madoka to her lab, not before leaving her last message.

"Don't worry, I'll drop Madoka off to her habitat, and Liu to his buddies, yay~!"

Squall and Kaori looked at Liu's men knocked out, and ordered their men to leave them as be. While they left the restaurant, Tabane wrote a note, and dropped it on Hong's forehead:

"Liu will be back in two days, you'll see him soon~!" – Tabane

* * *

Where the hell am I? Why am I sitting across Madoka in a small table? My left eye twitched at her petite appearance, and something tells me she's not normal. Minutes of silence, I didn't bother making a conversion, neither does Madoka, so we didn't talk. Surprisingly, my guns were with me, but my instincts tell me don't draw your weapons; wait until the time is right. Soldiers were everywhere, keeping an eye out to make sure we didn't pull any tricks. Tabane finished Madoka's personal IS that was covered in darkness. There were four personal IS, but I can't see them clearly since there were no lights. My god, I want to get the hell out of here, away from that lunatic! Before I could make a move, Tabane appeared close to my face.

"Ok, your personal IS is finished as promised~! Try it on, and see what you think of it~!"

That quick?! There's no way in hell Tabane completed my IS in a short time! Madoka sat like a mannequin as soldiers held me at gun-point as I stepped into my personal IS. An interface appeared as I read the first three words.

"Welcome aboard, Nightmare."


	13. Animals Can't Help It

**Opening song: D12 - Bane**

Three Dragons and Shen were in their beloved BMW, speeding through traffic. Behind them was a Liquid Bronze Toyota Land Cruiser Prado. The driver was a mid twenties woman with deranged yellow eyes. Three Dragons has stolen a cache of anti IS weapons to equip Phantom Task soldiers and his units. Traveling at 98 miles per hour, they sped past a police car, and give chase.

Three Dragons also acquired an IS stolen from France to recruit the cantankerous IS pilot named Tiffany. He intentionally breaks many traffic laws as possible to kick up noise to attract Chifuyu. If he got Ichika and the gang to participate, that would be a bonus for him to toy them.

"Pull over to the side of the road."

Defiant from the order, Three Dragons blindly fired his GSh-18 at the police car, nearly killing the police officers.

"Dispatch to Patrol 1, suspect has fired gunshots at my vehicle, requesting backup!"

Three Dragons gleefully listened at the voices from his stolen police scanner. He reloaded another clip, firing at oncoming police cars and traffic. The police sirens ticked off the fuel-hated IS pilot.

"AAARRRGGGHHH!" Tiffany screamed through her windshield.

Tiffany plowed cars out of the way as the once peaceful city has turned into a high-speed pursuit. Dozens of police cars scrambled to stop the rampaging BMW and the SUV. Chifuyu happened to be in the pursuit, much to his pleasure.

"Three Dragons, you best to return the stolen weapons. If you don't comply, you will leave me no choice."

"I would love to, but let's play cat and mouse. Catch me if you can, that is."

Three Dragons blew a kiss at Chifuyu, agitating her temper as he grinned sadistically at his twisted game. Civilians make way to clear the streets as police set up a roadblock. It was now, that Shen stopped at the roadblock, and brigade of Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department fenced in. Flashing red lights could be seen within the radius of three blocks.

"Driver, Three Dragons, and accomplice, step out of the vehicles now." Chifuyu ordered the miscreants.

Three Dragons and Shen exited the BMW with their hands up, but Tiffany didn't budge.

"Accomplice, out of the car with your hands up, or I will force you out."

Seeing no reason to hide themselves any further, they walked backwards. Suddenly, Shen's back transformed to partial deploy her IS, a giant scorpion tail from the shocked humans.

"My god…" Chifuyu muttered.

Shen released a hail of automatic gunfire at the police officers next to her. They return fire as Shen unleashed a massive shockwave that blew away the rest of the police officers and shattered their vehicles. Chifuyu fired her Sig Sauer P230, but Shen's scorpion tail deflected the bullets.

By chance, Three Dragons, Tiffany, and their getaway cars were not harmed from the assault. Tiffany roared, firing her Steyr M at the officers as they take cover. A police officer winged Tiffany's left shoulder. Enraged, Tiffany reloaded another clip, gunned down the officer that shot her, and fired relentlessly until she depleted 17 rounds. The crooks retreat to resume the pursuit.

On the highway, Chifuyu was determined to catch Three Dragons once and for all. She played his little game, weaving through traffic. It would have been easier if Tiffany didn't interfere, but Chifuyu had to deal with her first.

"Accept this gift for keeping up. I hope we meet again, Chifuyu."

Out of all the people Chifuyu encountered, she placed Three Dragons the worst of all criminal scum. This could be the only shot to apprehend Three Dragons to dig information out of him.

"Tiffany, keep Chifuyu and her guests entertained, I got packages to drop off."

Chifuyu sent in officers to go after Three Dragons and Shen while she prepared to take down Tiffany that can be described with one word: Hate.

"AAAAGGGGHHHH!" Tiffany yelled partial deploying her IS. A giant metal hand threw the driver side door, and flipped cars at Chifuyu as she skillfully evaded the attack.

Growing tired of her explosive frenzied outbursts, Chifuyu jumped out of her police car, wielding modified katanas. Seeing the Brunhilde she really hated, Tiffany smashed against the container truck, and deployed her IS, the heavily armored version of Rafale-Revive, destroying her car in the process.

Tiffany punched Chifuyu, pushing her further down the highway. Fueled by sheer, unrelenting hate, Tiffany hated everyone and everything, even herself. Revolted by her cycle of hatred, she crushed her bitterness on anyone that looked at her wrong.

When they landed, she kicked Chifuyu, who then slashed Tiffany's face so hard half of her helmet shattered. Tiffany swung her sword ferociously at Chifuyu, all the while shrieking unintelligible. Chifuyu dodged her attack by cleaving off Tiffany's sword, and sliced her helmet away.

"I HATE YOU!" Tiffany howled, swinging her secondary sword. Tiffany's strikes caused little injury and had no lasting effect. Chifuyu's strikes, however, damaged Tiffany's energy shield dangerously low.

"I don't need another Autumn replica," said Chifuyu. "One is already enough."

Tiffany let out her final roar, charging her sword. Chifuyu narrowly dodged the sword flashing down, and stabbed Tiffany in the chest, and then run through her neck, nearly severing it. Tiffany flailed and screeched endlessly until Chifuyu threw her aside to end her misery.

"Poor thing, your actions reflected your ugliness and malice inside you."

Chifuyu sighed in content, taking the IS core away from Tiffany. Before she left the scene, the voice recorder left a message on Tiffany's dead body.

"Chifuyu, what a great time we had today. The client I hired was an experiment to test your skills. Thanks to you, I gathered enough data for my research. Let's keep in touch."

No more words to be said, Chifuyu gritted her teeth at Three Dragons' sadistic scheme. She called off the pursuit after witnessing police officers injured from the assault. Three Dragons and Shen eluded the police for now. Chifuyu returned to the lab to gather more evidence on Three Dragons. Maya inspected the IS core.

"Ma'am, the IS pilot, Tiffany, was she a test mule?"

"Most likely so. I got a report from the forensic investigators. She consumed mass unknown quantity of drugs to increase adrenaline and hate."

"How horrible. She can rest in peace..."

Maya tilted her head at Chifuyu comparing the notes until she took a breather.

"Ugh, this is making my head hurt. Three Dragons, laugh while you can because that won't be your last."

* * *

 **Time: 12:08 PM – Room 1-1**

To the classmates, it was a free day when Maya and Chifuyu didn't show up on time. Ichika wondered where his older sister/homeroom teacher went. While the others talk about their plans over the weekends, he wondered why they were late. Late night drinking or sleeping in could have been the factors.

"Any of you seen Orimura-sensei and Maya?"

"Nein, but I shall finish where we left out last time."

The German girl leaped on Ichika's table to kiss Ichika on the lips until Houki, Cecilia, and Charlotte violently pulled her away.

"You…!" Cecilia screamed.

"Have you not learn common sense?!"

"What are you doing?!"

Laura kept a poker face as the others restrain her from putting her lips onto Ichika. She was straightforward and honest with her thoughts that wasn't afraid to show her feelings.

"Ichika is my bride. No objections, and you are just mere peasants."

The class erupted into rage at Laura's bold remark. Ichika tried to keep the class in order, but it only made it worse as girls struggle to quell down Laura.

"Quiet down, you brats! Class is not dismissed until my say so!"

Everyone straightened up to see the teacher's face in a bad mood. She stared at the students that were dead silent. Laura grabbed Ichika by the collar to make out with him again. However, that made Chifuyu even angrier as she grabbed Laura's stomach and belly-to-back suplex into the floor.

Laura's face would have cracked open like an egg if Chifuyu threw her in a legsweep DDT. No one dared to defy Chifuyu's sheer strength and authority.

"Now you're wondering why we were late was because Chifuyu…"

Maya nervously turned her head at Chifuyu's scowl expression. She could not tell the truth Chifuyu attempted to apprehend Three Dragons last night, and eliminated his test mule.

"Had a good dream of how much she likes your class and overslept!"

Normally, the classmates would cheer, but they were still stunned at Chifuyu when she suplex Laura. To vent out her frustration, Chifuyu got Maya in a headlock after she made up the worst excuse for being late.

"Maya had too much to drink last night, pardon the tardiness."

Maya tapped out as Chifuyu released her, and slightly smirked, helping Laura back on her feet. She turned her attention at the classmates and class was now in sessions.

"Today, we will discuss advanced combat theories, and how to keep your cool in battle. Gear up, this training will not be the same."

Students were in Uchigane wielding their katanas while Chifuyu in her white jogging suit inspected the armored samurai suits.

"So far, all of you have mastered the basics. Here's where the fun part begins. Watch closely as I demonstrate."

Chifuyu walked towards the obstacle course filled with manmade infrastructures, targets both stationary and mobile. She twirled her katana, and leaped into action, slicing the targets with precision. Equivalent to an IS pilot, Chifuyu's superhuman dexterity and skills decimated targets as points increase by tenfold.

20 targets moved in different directions with holographic enemy IS units added to the mix. Chifuyu whipped out her small, semi-automatic handgun that caught everyone by surprise.

"A gun?" Charlotte and Ichika said in unison

"I don't recall her owning a firearm." Laura answered vaguely.

"Was this part of her plan?" Houki questioned.

The instructor took cover from the IS targets shooting non-lethal lasers. She walked while shooting simultaneously like a fully trained SWAT operative. Each bullets landed a bullseye as Chifuyu reloaded another clip, fired one handed. Out of ammunition was not a problem for Chifuyu, destroying the remaining targets with her katana. She dashed towards the finish line, and finished the course in 45 seconds.

"The holographic targets won't harm you since I fitted them with non-lethal lasers. Apply the methods I have taught you. As long as you finish the course, that's what matters."

Students took turn to go through the obstacle course while the others practice shooting range. Courtesy of Maya, Uchigane has gone through some upgrades. The upgrades included bullpup assault rifles, refined armor, and semi-automatic rifles with magnifying scopes.

Ichika and the gang went through the obstacle course a few time to refine their piloting skills. They were about to do another run until-

"All personal IS users, come down to the lot immediately."

Chifuyu commanded at the personal IS users in military line waiting further instruction.

"You must have been wondering where I got this gun." Chifuyu questioned.

"Yes, Orimura-sensei."

All eyes turned towards Ichika, who looked at the instructor straight in the eye. They were hesitant to question her firearm, but Ichika was confident.

"Due to recent crime wave involving with IS, it's my duty to protect this academy."

Chifuyu checked no bullets were in the chamber as she switched the safety trigger on.

"But you're an instructor, not a police officer or detective! You can't carry firearms in the academy." Charlotte had spoken out full of authority.

Ichika understood the situation just by listening to Chifuyu's serious tone, not for jokes this time.

"Don't worry, I borrowed it from a friend. Now, onto serious matters."

Maya watched the students practice advanced IS combat skills while Chifuyu led Ichika and the gang to the lab.

"I didn't want to tell the rest of the students the real reason I showed up late was this."

Chifuyu held an IS in standby mode she recovered from the fight with Tiffany. To her, it was an important piece to keep hands away from abuse. If she didn't intervene, the damage would have been worse.

"Rafale Revive Custom almost like mine…" Charlotte said.

"Correct. Kaori killed the original pilot to steal it for Three Dragons' experiment."

A single sweat ran down Laura's forehead hearing Three Dragons' nonstop crime spree. Laura had fair shares of soldiers going through harsh military warfare. The battle on crime and heist were something new to her.

"Almost vicious as Phantom Task," Laura added. "But he is no match against Schwarzer Hase."

"Return it to the rightful owner that want it back so he doesn't get his hands on it ever again." Houki supported.

It would be a good idea to stop Three Dragons' plan if it didn't have much attention from the criminals.

"Too dangerous to take this IS in public thanks to Three Dragons that used a test mule. Until the heat dies out, this IS will not go anywhere." Chifuyu said, folding her arms.

"What happened to the pilot?" Ichika said tentatively.

Chifuyu played the voice recorder, growing sick every time she has to hear Three Dragons talking.

"Chifuyu, what a great time we had today. The client I hired was an experiment to test your skills. Thanks to you, I gathered enough data for my research. Let's keep in touch."

Chifuyu played another tape recorder left by Three Dragons seconds ago.

"The test mule that no longer exists, I can send in another one to perfect my plan. Since you're concerned about my day-to-day basis, I'll assure you I'm not like those of this country. Let me show you."

Three Dragons ate a croquette as he turned on his iPhone 6. At the same time, tons of dynamite and TNT exploded a building. Explosions and screams can be heard on the voice recorder as everyone's face went pale white. Chifuyu slammed her fist on the table at Three Dragons' spread of his heinous crimes.

"To start off, I targeted an arms smuggling base run by a rival faction that tried to steal my resources. I won't hesitate to decimate anything that stands in my way. I suggest you and your students lay low so you don't become the next target."

Three Dragons' warning was clear that he wouldn't allow obstacles come in his way. Ichika stomped his feet onto the ground in frustration.

"Three Dragons has gone too far! Not after what he did to mock you!"

His battle aura increased, the determination he had burned sky high to stop Three Dragons.

"Ichika…"

"If he tries to lay his finger again, he'll have to go through me. Sicko thinks it's an amusing game. I think not because I must protect everyone!"

Reminisce of his previous lines from the Infinite Stripes interview, Ichika intended to uphold that promise, even if it cost his life.

"I admire your confidence, but don't go head on," Chifuyu warned her little brother. "Three Dragons is very dangerous and unpredictable. Laura, even if Schwarzer Hase was sent in, don't underestimate his resources."

"First rule of engagement is know your enemy by recon before taking action." Laura added, being the most experienced in combat.

"Yes, but not now. Be aware of your surroundings because there's no telling what the jokester will do next."

"Yes, Orimura-sensei!" they said in unison.

"Dismissed!"

Ichika and the gang left, but Chifuyu grabbed Rin by the shoulder. The Chinese girl immediately turned around slightly annoyed.

"What is it?"

Chifuyu glared at her before circling over and speaking in a slow hard tone. Rin shivered slightly at the instructor's serious expression.

"He has not returned in days…you must be worried about his whereabouts."

"N-n-yes," said Rin. "A loose cannon that doesn't know how to stop. I looked after him, and he doesn't listen all of my warnings."

"I know it hurts to see someone you take care runs off like that. Deep down, he's also hurt for ditching, but sooner or later, he will return when an unfortunate event stops his journey."

Rin looked equally in disbelief, thinking Chifuyu was playing around, but again, Chifuyu was dead serious.

"Don't be too hard on yourself. Believe me, he will be back."

* * *

 **Time: 10:14PM – Tabane's Lab**

Three Dragons peered over at his units; along with Phantom Task soldiers inspecting their anti IS arsenals. The specs of their presents were armor piercing casings, sabot rounds, military grade body armor, plutonium rounds, and incendiary ammunition. All were specifically tuned to compete against IS units that have superior weaponry.

The arsenal may not have the full power of IS weaponry, but it's concealable, and enough to keep them at bay, especially if there are multiple users. These specs were way beyond the legality status, black market material.

"Hi~hi~having fun being Santa Claus~?"

The energetic bunny ear scientist walked happily eating a cream cheese Danish. Shen stomped her foot on the ground as Three Dragons' units and Phantom Task soldiers lined up. Hands gripped behind their backs, staring at Tabane strolling by.

"A lot, Dr. Tabane," said Three Dragons. "You finished Madoka and Liu's personal IS. Now for my part of the agreement, I want you to tune the IS capable to operate for my units and Phantom Task soldiers."

"Why not have your own personal IS~? It's easier than fixing the accidental side effect~"

Three Dragons frowned. "I rather not get my hands dirty when I got resources with me to do the work. I could kill Liu to take his IS, Nightmare right now, but I'll give him a chance to let him enjoy his new toy first."

"Works for me~! I like to observe events than stop them~it ruins the surprise, don't you agree, fire breathing Dragon~?"

Three Dragons wasn't too fond of his new nickname, but it was better than calling his government name. Tabane spun around like a Cinderella at the soldiers fully armed as she stuck her tongue out at Three Dragons and Shen.

"I want my piece of the cake~" Tabane said lightly on her part of the agreement.

Three Dragons threw Tabane an éclair, her favorite French dessert as she ate the choux pastry, flavored cream filling.

"Done deal~your creation will be done soon~"

"Much appreciated, Dr. Tabane."

Tabane couldn't stop staring at the anti IS cache, playing the guns and masks. Three Dragons couldn't stop hiding his smirk that his plan will come in harmony. It was even better for him to witness Liu, then kill him when the time was right.

"Enjoy it while it lasts because in the blink of an eye, you won't see it when you sleep six feet under. It deserves a new owner when your usefulness expires. First, your body will break. Then, your mind, and finally, your soul."

This shows Tabane will help anyone whether if they ask for it or not. Three Dragons' plans were simple: strengthen Phantom Task, and then kill Liu to steal his new IS, Nightmare for Kaori. In his eyes, killing Liu right away takes away the fun. He'll take his time to slowly break him down.


	14. Journey to the Dark Abyss

**Opening song: DJ Paul - Torture Chambers Ft. Lord Infamous**

 **Time: 6:50AM – Training Facility**

Liu in his new IS, Nightmare walked inside the training facility with dimmed lights on the ceiling. On the obsidian black and midnight purple armor, two sharp like hands acted as pauldrons that had a razor-edged, menacing armor than the predecessor.

Liu activated Venom Slug, unaware the threat was coming in fast. His Rattler and Equalizer were removed in exchange for Heavenly Emperor, a two-handed, single-edged sword. A spark of electric shocked Liu in the head.

"Commencing Level One Training."

The automated machine echoed from the hidden speakers. Sirens blared as Phantom Task soldiers hiding in the shadows fire anti IS rounds. Liu barely dodged the heavy gunfire, blindly firing back.

A projectile chipped him in the left forearm, his energy shield dropped from 750 to 583.

"Don't disappoint me, Liu. You got new toys that weren't touched. Entertain me!"

Liu's blood froze hearing Three Dragons' voice over the intercom. Three Dragons watched Liu struggling to hit his targets that missed.

"What are you doing here?" Liu lashed out at his hated enemy.

"I could kill you right now, but it'll be a waste to throw away a life with potential. Give thanks to Tabane that gave you Nightmare."

"Fucker!"

Liu didn't give thanks to the crazy scientist. He evaded the projectiles while he shot back, and few soldiers took a hit, but didn't go down immediately. Thanks to their upgraded body armor, it required more than 3 hits to stop their tracks.

"The presents work perfectly all thanks to you. You're making a greater cause for Phantom Task. Why are you wasting your time at the loathsome boarding school? If you change your mind, come look for me! There's always room for one more." Three Dragons taunted.

Liu threw a middle finger in response to Three Dragons' proposal that was a lie. Three Dragons may think he has the plan error free, but that was not always the case. Even when he supplied Phantom Task with illegal weapons, along with extensive connections, there's always a weakness. Liu won't give up that easily to be tossed around like a rag doll in training, especially in front of his hated adversary.

"At the lowest of the food chain, you are easy targets for predators. You look them into their eye, saying you could devour them. What happens when your eyes give out?"

Lights flickered out of control Three Dragons anticipated to mess Liu mentally in psychological warfare.

"Can't beat the top, especially when you're the lowest life form of existence! Light isn't your best friend when it turns against you. Be one with the dark, it's your new home."

Liu struggled to keep focus at his target from the lights twitched that obstructed his vision. Three Dragons' nonstop talk to wear down Liu broke his temper that clouded his concentration. In a nutshell, Liu saw their hiding spots, and gunned down the soldiers with brute force.

One soldier fired a sabot round in last-ditch effort to kill Liu. He whipped out Heavenly Emperor as the dark blade sliced the missile in half, and shot the last soldier until his armor was destroyed.

"Why are you looking for the light? Embrace your inner darkness, release the beast locked within you."

"Commencing Level Two Training."

Lights turned back on, dozens of soldiers in battle formation and one IS pilot dubbed 'Director' in her modified Rafale-Revive Custom opened fire. Liu leaped and weaved through the gunfire, deflecting the projectiles. She rushed forward to intercept him, armed with dual katanas. Steel of blades clashed against each other and soldiers were careful not to shoot their leader.

"Give me more, you're making my guests very welcomed." Three Dragons gloated.

Director fired rounds from her assault rifle, multiple bullets with lightning speed that knocked Liu down. Liu slashed the IS pilot in the collarbone, reeling her back slightly.

"You fight admirable, but I like to see more out of you. Breathe while you can because very soon, your body breaks. When that is down, your mind will deteriorate, and finally, your soul will burn."

"Oh shut up already!"

Liu shot the intercom to not hear Three Dragons' voice again. It was one less to deal with an annoying chatterbox. Director got the better hand trading blows as Liu hurled fist after fist without stopping. Director leaped back to get better shooting distance, and he lurched forward firing his Venom Slug.

Director swore as she weaved through the projectiles. Her shots fired intercepting Liu's projectiles. She readied her assault rifle and fired multiple shots. The first damaged his energy shield to 356, and Heavenly Emperor deflected the second round.

He deflected the bullets in one motion sweep. Director flared up and she charged with her katana. Liu parried the stab, reared his head back, and headbutt to force her back avoiding the second swipe.

The aggressive, forceful thrust against the forehead injured their heads greatly. Soldiers took the opportunity to fire Liu clutching his head in pain. Bullets damaged his energy shield, Liu made quick work at the soldiers before turning his attention at Director. Now dangerously low to 100, Liu fired shots as Director activated her ignition booster and charged right at him.

Liu was not fast enough and he was thrown against the wall. Before she could finish him off, Liu leaped at significant boost of speed, and slammed her into the command booth.

"Damn, son…" Three Dragons said, leaping away in time.

Director rolled over and took control by bashing her fists at Liu's head. He blocked the execution blow, and delivered two hook punches to the face. Director was heavily damaged, swearing as she drooped against the collapsed concrete column. Liu was also torn up from the brutal training.

"Well done, well done, Liu. You see I was here. Unlike your friends and people at IS Academy, they seem to be stuck. Or sleeping six feet deep because you want to kill me so much you ignored them, right?"

Three Dragons smiled as he continued to break Liu mentally of losing someone dearly. He witnessed the power of Nightmare, the perfect weapon to steal it soon for Kaori.

"You twisted fuck! What did you do to them?!"

"I don't have the answers." Three Dragons shrugged his shoulders while maintaining his innocence.

"You won't be smiling when I put this gun to your mouth…"

Under the belief Three Dragons murdered Liu's friends and everyone at IS Academy, Liu attempted to strike Three Dragons. However, he pressed a button that opened a tunnel from the wall. Liu tried to fight through the strong vacuum pulling him away from Three Dragons. Eventually, Liu was sucked into the tunnel, and ejected out of the sky.

Three Dragons fired heat-seeking missiles at Liu to deter him from retaliation. Liu had no choice but to retreat until he eluded them.

"Wait until I get my hands to rip your ass apart!" Liu shouted.

Being detained by Tabane, Liu had a bad experience with the training that used live weapons, and the mental abuse Three Dragons attempted to break him down.

 _Three Dragons is lying, I know my friends, Ichika and his gang are alive. He just wants to fuck me up so he can carve me up easily._ Liu encountered flashbacks of Three Dragons impaling words onto his brain. The worse of all, Tabane left him with Madoka and the soldiers. Liu tried to shake off the traumatic false reality, knocking his senses until he finally erased them. Descending towards the ground, Liu de-materialized Nightmare to search his crew. Soon enough, he found them waiting in their German grand-saloon.

"Welcome back to the living, Liu," said Xu, rewriting the plans on the paper. "There's a change of plans for you. I did recon; we can't get away scotch free with the security room. You'll have to sneak in, and hold the guards at gun-point."

Xu handed Liu a soundproof device. "Just in case anyone else heard the commotion. We stick to the plan as usual. We'll go in to pretend I'm picking up a car after Hong subdues the guards at the front door. I'll say 'I have the juice', then that's when Hong and I control the crowd. Zhang will assist you scoop up the money and weapons."

"Do this without firing a bullet is a plus," said Hong. "As long as they don't act up."

"Any questions? Good. Mask on, earpiece ready. Time to hit a lick."

Liu and his gang drove to Three Dragons' private car dealership that could be their last ride. First reason was to get money. Second, get payback for detaining Liu that tried to warp his mind. Lastly, weaken one of Three Dragons' income sources to draw him out.

They were fully armed wearing bulletproof vest, duffel bags filled with M26 grenades, ammunition, and business suits to draw unwanted attention. Underneath their faces were Noh theatre mask to bring out the intimidation factor. Xu, on the other hand wore a Hannya mask being the leader of the pack. On their hands were modified guns with nothing to lose.

* * *

 **Time: 1:36PM – Assembly**

It was late autumn at IS Academy as students gather around, watching Tatenashi preparing her routine speech. She cleared her throat to quiet down the chatter.

"Students, allow me to explain the school trip to Kyoto. Due to third party attacks on our Academy, I had to postpone the trip for good reasons. Safety is top priority, and I must ensure that it happens."

Silence described the students hearing the words 'third party attacks' as Tatenashi continued on. This time, she was serious, unlike her casual side.

"Orimura-sensei and Maya will lead the trip that includes personal IS users as protection."

Tatenashi returned to her laidback tone as students silently talked to each other about the personal IS users and the school trip.

"Here's an example of latest combat capabilities, our second and third year students-"

The words combat capabilities stirred the first year students. Tatenashi was used to crowd control. She snapped her fan that opened instantly, and the students stopped talking.

"Why must we bother playing bodyguards? Such an eyesore…"

"Ah, where did you get that source from?"

"My hometown Greece gave me the information…"

The lazy person with an unusual voice was Forte Sapphire, slouching on the sofa. Forte had light gray eyes, messy long black hair tied in a braid wrapped around her neck. Her body was petite similar to Laura, and slouching made her look even smaller. Forte wore a gold earring on her right ear. The Greece girl was close to snoozing, not wanting to keep up the boring speech.

"Student council president, the time has finally arrived, am I right?"

The young American adult with blue eyes leaning on the wall was Daryl Cayce. Her blonde ponytail was rather a man's hairstyle. Opposite to Forte's size and personality, Daryl's straight posture and ponytail made her look tall. Her arms crossed against her large breasts around F-cup. Daryl's IS uniform was rather loose, but Daryl couldn't care less.

"My IS, Hellhound was upgraded to Version 2.8," Daryl boasted. "I can repel those unwanted attacks."

"Very well then, dismissed!"

At the Tokyo station, while the Shinkansen was ready to depart soon, Laura stared intensively at the display case that had bento box. Next to the bento box was cake that caught her attention.

"I'll pay for those adorable cakes! I have money!"

Before Laura could complete her transaction, Ichika yanked her away to get inside the Shinkansen.

"Noooo! I want them!"

The Shinkansen beeped to indicate it was about to depart to Kyoto.

* * *

 **Time: 2:23PM**

Inside the Shinkansen to Kyoto, Houki, Cecilia, and Laura were playing a card game. Like a high stakes game at Las Vegas casino, they were determined to win.

"The goddess of victory is truly smiling upon me."

"Nein! The victory shall belong to me, Alcott."

Laura readied her card, knowing she will win guarantee as Houki focused on the cards in her hands.

"I'm going to be in the same group with Ichika today. I can't lose to these psychos today…Buddha, help me!"

Laura with her 'You just activated my Trap Card' face waited for Houki to set her card. Laura couldn't stop hiding her smug, she revealed her triumph card, and Houki cried in defeat.

Ichika looked at his digital camera as Charlotte curiously leaned over.

"Oh, is that your camera?"

"Yup, I brought it from home so I can take some pictures for class memento-"

Someone threw a can of orange juice towards his face. Ichika caught it at the last second, not knowing who did it.

"Here you go, drink up."

Forte Sapphire, the second year student threw the gift. Ichika thanked the senior student while trying to open the lid, but something stopped his hand that felt cold and numb.

"What the-"

Was this a prank? Normally, the lid would open right away, but it was sealed shut. Ichika shake the can, which is normal to check there's juice inside, nothing happened. Inside the content, the juice was frozen solid like ice.

"Hahaha, you fell into her trap," said Daryl, sitting next to Forte with her legs crossed. "That's her IS, Cold Blood with a cool ability that can stop or slow down vibration of molecules."

Forte lack of energy said. "Don't ruin the spoiler, you're not suppose to reveal it."

Daryl laughed at her partner's phrase that was rather hilarious with her monotone.

"Hehe, we're not in a movie theater. You saw my underwear, what's the color?"

Daryl grinned as she stared at Ichika with interest. This was the time to look away before something lewd would happen. Before Ichika could respond, Daryl slightly pulled her skirt down that revealed her red underwear.

"Lewd boy~"

"You pulled your skirt down in public! Have you got no shame?" Ichika retorted.

Too late, Charlotte viciously glared at Ichika for his behavior, but truth be told, Daryl was at fault that started first. Daryl sat back and chuckled at Charlotte blushing at the same time.

"Listen to me, Daryl-"

"Ichika no ecchi!" Charlotte pouted.

Maya felt embarrassed at Daryl and Forte's uncouth behavior. They were supposed to be a role model for the first year students, not a bad influence. Maya turned her head at Chifuyu.

"I'm sure this is going to be a great trip."

"Yeah, sure." Chifuyu said slightly sarcastically, looking at the window, predicting something might interrupt their school trip.

"We are arriving at Kyoto station, please make sure you do not leave your belongings."

The Shinkansen made a complete stop as the first year students take their luggage. Daryl shoved Ichika behind before strolling with her partner.

"Perverted kid." Daryl taunted.

"I'm not!"

"Can't deny it when your eyeballs were ogling at my underwear. Hahaha, I'm right, you're wrong."

Ichika shook his head in disgust at Daryl and Forte. The students huddled up once again as Maya and Chifuyu prepare their announcements.

"Listen up, everyone! All of you will have free time with your groups."

"We're all scheduled to pay a visit to Kiyomizu-dera temple this evening. Be sure you get there on time, and don't be late. Understood?"

"Yes, madam!" The students said in unison.

"Dismissed!"

The students explored Kyoto, having a good time taking pictures at the beautiful structures filled with extensive history. Ichika took pictures he saw while dealing with the first class students that tag him along. So far, he managed to control the situation by making them take turns so they don't fight.

"Ichika, a piece of luggage was just delivered for you." Maya said.

Ichika didn't left it from the Shinkansen as he checked the luggage rather suspiciously that had the tag written 'Sender: Secret'.

"Is there something wrong?"

Kanzashi checked up on Ichika.

"This luggage was delivered for me, but I don't know who sent it."

Suddenly, the luggage moved by itself that startled Ichika and Kanzashi. Tatenashi popped out of the luggage like a magician, much to the dismay of Kanzashi.

"Tada! It's your student council president, Tatenashi!"

"T-Tatenashi?!"

"Big sister? You…!"

Kanzashi and Ichika shoved Tatenashi back in the luggage and threw her in a delivery truck. They took a breather, but the real Tatenashi leaned on the column, folding her arms giggling.

Autumn maple leaves scattered around Cecilia as she admired the colors and the beautiful nature.

"Dancing in the Autumn breeze, the season of love has arrived."

"Hey, Cecilia, mind if I take a picture? You look stunning."

Ichika readied his camera to take a picture of Cecilia. She held her cheeks while he took some pictures.

"I would like to see the pictures, they must be beautiful."

As Ichika scrolled through the pictures, Cecilia smiled on until the last picture ruined the quality. Apparently, a gust of wind obstructed Ichika that he accidentally took a picture of the maple tree.

"What on Earth is that last one suppose to be, Ichika?" Cecilia said.

"That was not supposed to happen! I can retake the picture-"

"Meow!"

A small white cat laid its eyes on Ichika and Cecilia with the "look at me" expression. Cecilia and Ichika had a look of bewilderment.

"There you are, Shiny."

A woman called out the cat strolling by, which was most likely, the name of the pet. Her appearance was out of the ordinary. She had long red hair, high heels, and tall slender body. Her right eye was an eyepatch, and her kimono was deliberately exposed to the shoulder to her big chest. There were burn scars near her missing right arm as the woman puffed out a smoke of on her pipe.

"…"

The cat leaped onto her shoulder, the red haired woman exhaled another puff of smoke, and left. Cecilia and Ichika were still lost at words of the woman and the cat before they took another photoshoot.

Ichika took some time on his own to take pictures for himself, admiring the peaceful afternoon. At the Jishu Shrine, Rin held a small brown cup written in 'love' filled with water.

 _It's not like I asked the favor of the gods, but since the shrine is so famous for its successful relationships, my prayers might be answered, right?_

Rin prayed one last time to make her wish come true.

 _Please, will you make that notice how I feel about it, even if it's just a little?_

Just as Rin turned her back, she unexpectedly ran into Cecilia who also had the same intention as her. Cecilia had a good match prayer tablet on her hands, and Rin knew she was up to something.

"What a coincidence," said Rin, hiding her hands on her back. "So, uh, this shrine is famous for something I might not heard of? I saw the shrine to see what's up, so here I am."

"Oh, I just happen to be in the same area, so I want to check it out as well!"

Cecilia and Rin laugh uncomfortably before they glared at each other like old rivals. Laura made her wish no one would dare to ask for.

"I wish to be blessed with many children."

Dumbstruck by Laura's insane to have many kids, which would be the appropriate time to zip her mouth immediately.

"Laura! What did you-"

"Just say?"

"Beg you pardon? Is this not the place to make your wishes come true?"

Rin and Cecilia sigh at Laura she did not have common sense at all. Firing her Lieutenant, Clarissa was the best choice to detoxify her mind against the anime fictional facts.

At the Fushimi Inari-taisha, Maya and Chifuyu walked past the red torii that stretched almost endlessly.

"Excuse me, Miss. Orimura? Is there something that's bothering you at this moment?" Maya questioned.

"Definitely, our Academy and students have already been targeted by constant third party assaults. We need to keep our eyes on everything, and make sure that our students are actually enjoying the trip."

Chifuyu want to take the chance for the students to have fun on their own, but ensuring safety upon them. If it weren't for her, who would look out after them?

"That will be 300 yen."

The store clerk gave Ichika two dango served on a skewer covered with sesame seed paste. Ichika placed the money to the clerk, giving thanks. Ichika enjoyed the Japanese dumpling and sweet mixed together, and the seed paste made it even better. The store clerk smiled at Ichika before they parted away.

"Hey there, Orimu!" Nohonon in her dark green kimono exclaimed, hopping like a jiangshi.

"Umm, Nohonon?"

"Help me, I'm being chased by Kan-chan~!"

"W-wait up, please!" Kanzashi panted from keeping up with Nohonon.

"Kanzashi, what's up with the pink kimono?"

"Ichika?" Kanzashi blushed. "Umm, it wasn't my idea, I got it because everyone else said I should try something wearing fancy. I didn't want to do it, but you know."

Ichika smiled at her adorable appearance. "You look absolutely beautiful, Kanzashi."

"You think so?"

"Of course!"

 **Thonk!** A combat knife threw past his eyes, Ichika knew right away who the perpetrator was.

"My bride is locked."

"What were you saying, Mr. Orimura?" Charlotte growled.

"Spill it!" Rin exclaimed.

"Unforgiving!" said Cecilia.

Thinking fast, Ichika grabbed Kanzashi to run away as they give chase to pay him back for not understanding their feelings.

"Get back here!" Rin, Cecilia, Charlotte, and Laura yelled.

Ichika ran as fast as he could, holding Kanzashi for dear life. His pursuers were hot on his tail. Running like a zebra away from a pack of savage lions, Ichika did not notice he was about to run in front of a rickshaw, and **Boom!** The rickshaw collapsed, and a metal wheel came off, flying down the stairs.

To make things worse, Houki happened to sit in the rickshaw, and saw Ichika holding Kanzashi.

"Unh, what happened? Hey! What's going on?"

By the time Ichika woke up, Houki became enraged, blushing at the same time her childhood friend was 'dating' another girl. Another misunderstanding, if she gave Ichika the time to explain, Houki would calm down, not letting her emotions run wild.

"Why you little shit…WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"


	15. Bodies Drop Just Like the Leaves

**Opening song: Lil Wyte - Sold My Soul Ft. Pastor Troy**

 **Time: 1:36PM - Outskirts of Japan**

The black grand saloon cruised at the busy streets. Inside the luxurious interior was Liu, and his criminal posses Hong, Zhang, Xu. It was the real deal to rob Three Dragons' operations at his private car dealership. They went through their plans thoroughly, making it clear no errors at all. First rule of thumb was no casualties. Be in control; don't let them see your weakness. After they adjusted their gloves, Liu sneaked through the backdoor while Hong handled the guards at the front door. Xu and Zhang wait for them to clear out.

The guards had no idea they were in for a surprise. Hong crept up, holstering his AEK-971 and yanked the guard.

"Stay where you are," Hong warned. "Make any sudden movement, you won't see another day."

The guard was armed with a Glock 23, but going against an assault rifle, he knew better to give up than getting shot. He immediately complied as Hong took his pistol and spare magazines. Hong made the guard return to his post, leaving him stiff as a mannequin. Hong went to the other side to make-work with the last guard.

"I got important clients coming. Better let them through, or else."

Hong made his point with the muzzle pointed at the guard's back. Not willing to take the risk, the guard surrendered his weapons, and Hong confiscated them. He could have subdued them, but Hong cannot draw unwanted attention from the others inside. Taking their weapons away was the better choice to make them powerless.

"Xu and Zhang, you're clear to walk through."

The security room was in Liu's reach; he looked around, and knocked the door. The man opened the door, and Liu partial deployed Nightmare, throwing him towards the desk. 5 guards drew their pistols at Liu, a big mistake. Liu placed the soundproof device on the door, and activated Venom Slug. The IS weapon clearly dominate against smaller firearms, and the guards stop frozen.

"All of you! Throw everything out of your pocket slowly."

The guards obeyed to not get shot by the IS weapon. Pistols and ammunition were thrown on the ground, rendering the guards powerless without them.

"Hands up, heads down!"

Liu scoop up the weapons with one hand onto his duffel bag while his other hand holding Venom Slug. He took control of the security room, disabling the surveillance systems. To make sure they don't act up, Liu cuffed their hands with duct tape.

Xu and Zhang went inside the dealership filled with expensive cars. Wearing a Noh mask and a Hannya mask would draw suspicions right away. They walked towards the receptionist, although she was startled by their appearances.

"Miss, I'm here to pick up my car." Xu said.

"Um, ok…Mind if I ask you to take your mask off? We don't allow faces to be concealed."

"I can't, my face is horribly burned from an accident. Name is Chan Ging-hung that placed an order on the Audi S7."

Chan Ging-hung was not his real name. The receptionist sighed, typing his fake name on her computer as the salesman led him to his car. Zhang and Hong snooped around the facility. People saw their masks, but they minded their own business. If it weren't for their suit, they would have been asked to leave. They saw the vault inside the office, along with the weapons cache.

"Here's your car, sir."

"Wait," said Xu. "I need to finalize the details first."

Xu and the salesman walked back inside, reading through the papers filled with warranties, maintenance information. Zhang stood next to Xu, it was the signal to make their move soon.

"I need a drink."

"Water or soda?" said Hong.

"Actually, I have the juice."

That was their cue to leap into action. Xu whipped out his customized P90, and struck the salesman with brute force. Hong and Zhang incapacitated the guards, aiming their assault rifles at the customers.

"Everyone stay down!" Zhang barked.

"Don't move!" Hong shouted. "DON'T MOVE! Hands up in the air! I SAID HANDS IN THE AIR!"

"You, away from the computer!"

Zhang swiped off the computers, tossing desks over. Xu opened his duffel bag of M26 grenades to keep the customers busy. He forced them to hold the primer handle on so they don't do anything suspicious. A manager walked in, unaware what was going on until Hong shoved his rifle at the manager's nostril.

"You over there, give me the key."

"W-whoa whoa whoa, what's going on-"

"THE KEY!" Hong shouted, losing patience he socked him so hard his nose broke. The manager covered his bloody nose in tears as he gave him the key, and Hong threw it to Zhang. While Xu and Hong control the crowd, Zhang made his way to the office. The door was locked, but Zhang had another way to make it open.

"In the office, Derek Koo, and Toshiyuki Hashizume, I have your house address and phone numbers. Don't make the distress call, I have men outside at your homes. Unlock the door right now."

They were stunned Zhang revealed their identities. Seeing no other options, Derek opened the door. Scared Zhang might kill them, they tried to run away, but Zhang blocked their escape path, aiming his carbine.

"Don't try to run, down on the ground!"

Zhang subdued the workers, and opened the vault; tons of money and weapons were stacked. Zhang took his time to put them inside the duffel bags. Liu locked the security room to assist Zhang cleaning the vault. They secured the loot to their getaway car and drove off.

"Tell me that we got away scotch free!" Hong said, recollecting his thoughts of their heist.

"I think we did."

They think the heist was a success, but little do they know they were followed. As they park the car, a swarm of black BMW mid-size luxury sedans rushed in, unleashing a barrage of bullets.

"Get down!" Xu shouted, scrambling to find cover at parked cars.

They engage in a firefight as civilians heard the gunshot and fled. Liu raised his left arm to materialize Nightmare in front of his crew the first time. They were stunned at his advanced technology.

"IS pilot?"

"That's impossible!"

"Holy shit," said Hong. "Never knew my best friend could do the impossible."

Liu assist his crew with suppressive fire as backup arrived to put down Liu and his crew. Kaori's units vs. Liu's faction, they were criminals, but hate each other. The shootout was absolute chaos, bullets ripping through private properties, grenades exploded in different directions. The once peaceful street into an urban warfare. A soldier shot Hong in the chest.

"Hong!"

He slowly recovered to reveal a bulletproof vest caught the bullet. Even though it saved his life, the vest did not protect the aftershock from getting shot. Neither side was going down as they fire at each other. Cops responded to the shootout, firing at the soldiers and Liu's crew. In retaliation, Kaori's soldiers dispatch the cops with hail of firepower. Things got even worse when another BMW joined in with Kaori and an IS pilot onboard.

Kaori ascended into the sky, firing not one, but multiple incendiary missiles from her wings. They narrowly avoided the flaming missiles as it created a chain of explosions. Liu frowned at Kaori's upgrade that caused more damage.

"Liu! We'll handle with these bozos, go after those two cocksuckers!" Zhang shouted.

"Don't worry about us, we'll be fine! Please secure the loot!"

Liu propelled himself at Kaori while the others fight on the ground. He swung his Heavenly Emperor at Kaori in fury flourishes. Kaori summoned her new weapon Vortex, a seven-bladed shuriken resembling helicopter rotor. Vortex spun at ridiculous 9000 rpm and is reinforced with toughened cobalt. In conjunction with Phoenix's fire capabilities, the blades set on fire as Kaori threw the humongous flaming shuriken at Liu. He dodged the attack, but didn't realize it also acted like a boomerang, coming back towards him.

Liu swiped the shuriken away as it returned to Kaori. She was very adept in the use of her weapon; she can throw them, use them as a shield, or use them as melee weapons in many ways. Blades clashed emitting sparks of shower, unleashing their fury attacks. The spinning blades chattered against Liu, chipping away his energy shield slowly.

Kaori leaped back out of his reach and fired showers of incendiary missiles. Liu opened fire with his Venom Slug. Their adrenaline increased as they shoot at each other. Without warning, Liu was brutally clobbered from behind by Kaori's accomplice in her customized Rafale Revive Basic. The IS pilot fired her .62 cal pump action shotgun to back up Kaori.

Liu reloaded, firing another clip at Kaori, and her accomplice. They exchanged blow after blow, flying in all directions to force the other to adjust their combat tactics. Liu parried the oncoming strikes from Kaori, and his Heavenly Emperor sliced Kaori's accomplice at her face. The IS pilot went on the defensive as Liu concentrated dark energy from his blade. He swung a huge beam slash in the form of a crescent moon. Kaori didn't block in time, and she smiled at the slash mark across her chest.

"You're not the only one with an upgrade," Kaori taunted, igniting fire on her Vortex. "Let me show you the true meaning of destruction."

She fired flare countermeasures to confuse Liu from other attempts to attack her. He launched forward for an overhead strike. Kaori smirked he fell into her trap. Kaori spun Vortex at high speed like a flamethrower, firing ignited napalm.

Blasted by the scorching temperature, Liu fell to the ground. Kaori went for the finishing kill. He parried the strike, and threw her across a mansion that crumbled on top of her. Liu quickly brushed off the fire on his body that ate his energy shield. A private link revealed the results of the destructive war-zone. Dozens of dead bodies slouched against destroyed houses and cars.

Liu saw three bodies attached with Noh and Hannya mask on their faces. Riddled with bullet holes, his eyes widened in disbelief. Hong, Zhang, and Xu were dead from fighting Kaori's soldiers. Liu felt the whole world crashed on him. His heist crew were no longer breathing, Liu's mind shattered into pieces, trying to deny the reality.

"NO!" Liu shouted in despair, tears flowing down his cheeks as Kaori's accomplice lay down fire. Full of pure anger, Liu returned fire without thoughts of stopping, and he launched towards her. She threw a car, but Liu sliced through, and unleashed dark beam slash. She violently crashed through three houses, and went for the finishing kill.

He didn't notice Kaori emerged from the shambles as she threw her Vortex, struck Liu in the face. Knocked off balance, Liu went after Kaori, shooting beam slashes. Kaori swiped them away with ease, and she was one step ahead of him.

"I guess you weren't strong at all," said Kaori, grinning. "Such a disappointment."

Kaori savagely attacked Liu in different angles, dangerously dropping his energy shield to 75.

"And that concludes our boring fight."

She unfolded her wings, charging energy, and released massive flaming shockwave that encompass Liu. Thrown to the ground, Kaori was about to end his life until her accomplice stopped her. She whispered something into her ear, and Kaori growled.

Kaori ordered her surviving units to retreat as she and her accomplice flew away. Liu woke up to see his weapons power depleted. His energy shield remained at 23. He deactivated Nightmare, aching in pain every step he took. Liu took an adrenaline shot towards his heart muscle. The injection was painful, but Liu had to regain energy one way or the other. He covered his dead crew's bodies with a blanket, and one wounded soldier tried to draw his Mossberg 590A1.

Liu kick the shotgun away, and slammed him against the hood of the car.

"Damn it, Kaori! I guess I wasn't worth it."

Liu viciously glared at the soldier to get answers.

"I'm here to make you pay for what you did to Hong, Zhang, Xu. Answer this question. Where did Kaori go?"

"Fuck you ahahahaha! Liu? So you're Liu, the second male IS pilot."

The soldier mocked him as he made a break to run. Liu grabbed him above his head, and threw him against the windshield with a deafening crack.

"Throw me all you want, boy! It won't make a difference."

"You're right, but maybe this will change your mind."

Liu's eyes were now dark filled with intense violence and hatred. He dragged the soldier to a crane, wrapping his neck with steel wires.

"What, you're going to drop me again, huh?"

The soldier threw a left hook, and Liu broke his arm. He could not get answers from the soldier that played games.

"I'm going to ask you again, where is Kaori?"

"...All your answers await ahead, Liu...in Kyoto, that is, if you can get there in one piece." The soldier laughed manically, wincing in pain.

"Dying isn't so bad, but it won't matter because you're still fucked like the rest of your friends and the others at IS Academy!"

Liu got even madder at the soldier mentioning his friends, Ichika and his gang. Fed up with his resistance, Liu decided to waste him for good.

"Send this message to Kaori and Three Dragons," said Liu in a darker tone. "I'm still standing on my two feet."

"Fuck you!" The soldier spat blood at Liu's face, not yielding to a male IS pilot.

Liu wiped the blood away, and pressed a switch as the crane slowly rises up, strangling the soldier. He flailed like a fish until the crane extended its length. The soldier was hanged sky high. Liu took the 590A1, and saw another soldier trying to flee. He grabbed a knife, impaled his chest, and sliced the temple twice. The soldier squirmed as Liu put the shotgun onto his mouth, and squeezed the trigger, blowing his mouth out in a brutal mess.

Everything lost, Liu head towards his safe house. Throughout his vengeance against Kaori and Three Dragons, Liu displayed a much darker side to his personality. The civil war, losing his crew, and attempted murder he suffered from Three Dragons deteriorated Liu much more cruel and bloodthirsty. Liu parked the bullet ridden Mercedes inside the safe house he and Rin secretly found. Aching in pain, Liu administered another adrenaline shot as he lets out an enraged scream as the Epinephrine strengthened him once more.

 _Why are you looking for the light? Embrace your inner darkness, release the beast inside you._

 _First, your body breaks. Second, your mind deteriorates, and finally, your soul will burn._

Liu grabbed his head in despair, trying to block the words that tried to break him further. With enough energy to move properly, Liu stomped the needle into pieces. He took his Mac-11, and materialized Nightmare to fly to Kyoto.

* * *

 **Time: 2:05PM**

After the incident and some explanations, Ichika and the gang set up a picnic eating sweets Houki and Ichika treated them.

"Too delicious! Thanks for treating me out, Ichika."

"Wait, how did we ended up here?"

Rin turned around, still angry the fact everyone came along.

"Is there a problem? Consider yourself lucky we'll let it slide."

Ichika shrugged before Rin turned to Houki, offering her dango covered in sweet soy sauce glaze.

"What a great friend we have for Houki finding us a nice place for a picnic."

Even though Laura was mesmerized by the Japanese sweets shaped like a bunny, Ichika convinced her to try it. Laura ended up getting more Japanese sweets as souvenir.

Ichika stood on the bridge, thinking of Chifuyu. Most importantly, Phantom Task and Three Dragons were two words he couldn't stop thinking. Why would Three Dragons make a partnership with Phantom Task, and what was his goal? Ichika has to stop them before they cause any more harm.

"…Ichika?"

"Oh hey, Houki!" Ichika said. "Where are the others?"

Houki held back, not wanting the others to find out she would be alone with him.

"I guess I got separated from the pack. There's an amazing bamboo forest not too far from here. Have you visited there yet?"

"I haven't, but I'm down. Want to go with me?"

Houki blushed at her childhood friend that she finally has the chance to be alone with him.

"I'm down!"

Ichika and Houki walked down the scenery bamboos that stretch about a mile. The sun gazed down the leaves to give a peaceful nature. Ichika reminiscence when he used to walk with Houki after a long day of kendo training. It was sweet memories before Tabane invented IS that separated them.

"So peaceful, lovely."

Houki noticed Ichika looking down from thinking too much about Madoka and the crime spree by Three Dragons and Phantom Task.

"Hey, are you all right? You're not looking like your usual self."

"Yeah, it's Three Dragons and Phantom Task that's been causing a lot of trouble lately."

Houki stared at the bamboos, then at Ichika.

"Guy is out of his rocker the way I would describe him, but why is he trying so hard to get an IS? He's not a girl, so it's pointless to chase after it."

"That's the problem. Is he going to use it for recruiting criminals, or bending the rules of IS? I don't want to assume the worst."

"I don't have the answers, but something tells me he's not the only one affiliated with Righteousness Union. If you already know, they're a nasty bunch of crooks that conduct illegitimate business."

Ichika couldn't imagine her knowing some information in crime wave on IS. Better yet, blurting out Righteousness Union.

"You have been web surfing about that Triad, didn't you?"

"I-I did. They committed various crimes for profit. What caught my attention the most was the ongoing civil war between each other over an IS. Normally, Triads fight over for turf or demand of respect."

Ichika agreed that Righteousness Union has internal problems, rather than rival Triad fight. He took his digital camera, adjusting the settings to take a picture.

"The rest of the guys abandoned their search on IS, but some didn't give up. I believe it was between Three Dragons and L-"

"Excuse me, would you like me to take a picture for you two?"

Squall appeared, gesturing to hold the camera. Next to her was a young man attired in semi-casual clothing.

"Oh, that would be helpful," Ichika replied. "Take as many pictures as you like."

"I would like to remember this as well," said the man. "You don't mind?"

Houki and Ichika smiled as Squall took a picture of Houki and Ichika standing next to each other. The man took his Samsung S6, taking a few pictures. Not too fancy, but simple to make a potential picture of a couple. Something Houki dreamed of all her life.

"Thank you so much, you two!" Houki chimed in.

"Anytime, enjoy your trip while it lasts, Ichika Orimura and Houki Shinonono. Be safe out there."

Squall and her companion left, leaving Houki and Ichika confused by the man that knew their names.

"We didn't…tell them our names, did we not?"

"Nuh-uh."

Squall's companion uploaded the picture of Houki and Ichika to the rest of Phantom Task troops.

"I got two of IS Academy's students with personal IS."

"Acknowledged, we also got the others."

Squall smiled that her troops did reconnaissance without encountering obstacles. The final step was for her to say these words.

"It would be a pain to attack them right now. Keep observing our targets until my niece says so."

"Yes, madam."

Her troops easily slipped through unnoticed either wearing suit or semi-casual clothing. Because they strike unexpectedly, and hide in the shadows, Phantom Task is hard to capture.

Houki and Ichika walked along, taking pictures of the trees, and other surrounding structures.

"So glad to be with you, and no one else."

"Memory trips of going back to our childhood."

Houki and Ichika were unaware something extraordinary was about to happen. 500 ft away at a building, a female sniper and spotter were in the shadows. Her spotter looked at the scope, making adjustments before giving directions to the sniper. Her weapon of choice was a CheyTac M-200 Intervention.

"Background has 8 people surrounding Ichika Orimura and Houki Shinonono. Come up 5 minutes in elevation, wind speed is 3 mph, give me 1.5 minutes right."

She adjusted her scope while her spotter calculated the wind speed to give better accuracy so she doesn't miss her shot.

"Spotter's ready, spotter's ready."

"Sniper's ready to engage."

"Hold center…send it."

The sniper squeezed the trigger and **Clank!** The .408 Chey Tac sped past Houki's temple by an inch, chipping the ground that nearly killed her. Those that heard the loud gunshot fled, screaming. Houki and Ichika had no idea what's going on, and was full of confusion.

"W-where did that came from?!"

Just as Ichika opened his mouth, another bullet whizzed past his head as the sniper fired three more rounds. Instinctively, they materialized Byakushiki and Akatsubaki, and deflected the last projectile.

"Shit, we're being sniped!" said Ichika, drawing his Yukihara Type 2.

"Come on out, and stop hiding!" Houki yelled, clutching her Amatsuki and Karaware.

"Primary objective failed. Take out your sniper rifle and back me up."

The sniper said that revealed no other than Daryl. The spotter took her suppressed M40A5, carefully adjusting the scope and calculated wind speed.

"W-what are you doing to Houki and Ichika?!"

Forte Sapphire, the girl aloof of emotions was lost of words upon seeing her best friend sniping Houki and Ichika. This was her first time losing her usual bored personality as her eyes were widened in disbelief.

"Assassinating these two."

"…Using that sniper rifle…?! W-why…?"

Forte couldn't believe Daryl, her sempai; best friend would do something so harmful to IS students. Her world fell into pieces seeing the harsh reality. If Rain made that up as a joke, Forte won't take it kindly, but this was the real deal.

"I'll tell you something, my code name is Rain Meusel…Rain Meusel. Squall is my aunt."

Rain casually smirked unmasking her identity. True colors have been shown as her laidback expression resembled Squall's ladylike persona. However, Forte couldn't hold her tears and cried like a baby.

"No…you can't be a Phantom Task agent…! Why…why are you doing this…?"

Forte became weak and lost by her sempai. Rain laughed self-depreciated at her friend crying.

"My family is cursed from the beginning, I was destined to do this."

Rain saw Houki and Ichika looking back, weapons drawn. She knew her sniping position was compromised, and have to use Plan B.

"We've been spotted, make your choice quickly. Either you stay at IS Academy, or leave everything behind to join me. I won't stop you."

Forte felt lightheaded, and started to shake uncontrollably at the hardest choices to pick. If she stayed at IS Academy, Rain would no longer be with her. Joining Rain would mean cutting everyone off Forte knew. Two of these choices doesn't have good endings, but Forte has no choice but to pick one that marks her destiny.

Rain grabbed the petrified Forte by the collar.

"Take a ride with me! I'll lead you the right path."

Forte was still lost at her friend.

"What do you mean…right path?"

"The right path to set you free."

Rain kissed Forte for a few seconds, causing Forte's mind to go out of control. Somehow, she managed to pull it away, shaking her head in disbelief.

"I…I can't…" Forte muttered in shame.

"So be it," said Rain, smiling. "It's been great serving you as a friend, Forte."

Her smile pierced through Forte's chest, only making her sad with a hint of loneliness.

"I would love to stick around and chat, but I have to depart. Sniper, you may open fire. Come forth, Hellhound!"

Rain shouted as light covered her body. In seconds, she was in a dark gray armored IS. Two hound heads acted as pauldrons spat fire. She drew Escort Black, her double-edged sword scorching flames dove down at Houki and Ichika. Her spotter now turned sniper fired anti IS rounds, whispering from the suppressor.

"Bring it!"

Rain roared, swinging her flaming sword at Houki and Ichika. Sounds of metal clashed, scattering sparks all over. Houki couldn't believe Daryl, aka Rain the senior student turned into Phantom Task agent boldly attacked.

"We used to look up to you. Positive role models like you're supposed to be! Now we're enemies, not allies! Care to explain that?"

"Daryl no longer exists, Rain is the new name."

The hound heads' eyes gleamed red, spitting fire widespread. Houki and Ichika backed off; he too was lost of words at Rain.

"You're one of the best students at IS Academy. I don't believe it. Why are you putting this effort to assassinate us?"

Rain crept a sadistic grin. "IS Academy is nothing to me. My destiny is to kill you. Your lowlife fucks can get it too."

Ichika snapped right away at Rain's cruel insult. "I won't let you get away with that! You're going down!"

Ichika fired his particle cannon at high output energy Rain did not expect. The large caliber shot Rain in the stomach, reeling her back. Rain spit fire, but Houki dispersed the flames with her twin katanas. Using her Amatsuki, Houki shot multiple red lasers in a concentrated pattern. Rain deflected the lasers as the sniper fired at Houki. The anti IS round chipped her energy shield, much to her confusion. Rain spit fire at Houki, then at Ichika trading blows. The flames licked his armor, forcing him on the defensive.

The sniper found its mark, and shot Ichika. They completely forgot Rain's accomplice providing sniping assistance when Rain went head on to fight. Taking the advantage of being wide open, Rain drew flames on her sword, and slashed them simultaneously. Just as she was going for the execution blow, Ichika parried the strike, firing his particle cannon.

"How do you like the new toys? They sting, doesn't it?"

Rain teased at their suffering in pain. The anti IS round damaged their energy shields in half from two shots.

"That's bullshit!" said Houki, clutching her katanas. "No ordinary bullets should penetrate through IS."

Rain grinned as Ichika torpedoed at her with an overhead swing. Suddenly, Forte formed an ice barrier to deflect Ichika's strike.

"…"

Forte in her IS Cold Blood stood behind Rain. Her appearance was very sharp in contrast to Hellhound. Her pauldrons strike resemblance to hands or eagle talons with spikes jutted out.

"Forte…?"

"Let's do it…"

"Come again?"

"I can't take it anymore! Why are we being targeted?! We are supposed to be unstoppable duo! Also…who will tie my braids for me!?"

Forte shouted all her might, releasing her emotions sealed up. Her love for Rain was unbearable. This was the final saying, turning her back on IS Academy, and her home country Greece. Forte cried once again at her choice she couldn't turn back.

"I thought you didn't want to join with me. You're a strange girl."

Rain shrugged, but Forte with her new profound attitude shot back.

"Shut it! You caused all of this. Uuu…"

Houki and Ichika wasted no time for them to make love, breaking through the ice barrier. Before they can reach them, Forte and Rain dispersed hot and cold air, creating Aegis the defensive barrier. Cold Blood has the ability to manipulate cold while Hellhound controls fire, making Forte and Rain a deadly duo.

"You and I can accomplish our goals."

Forte and Rain confess their love for each other. Sticking together, they would overcome anything. Ichika shook his head at Forte and Rain that betrayed IS Academy to sell their soul to Phantom Task.

"Houki, let's show them we too can do it."

"Right, Ichika!"

Ichika folded his armor, readying his particle cannon while Houki activated Thousand Pierces, a blaster crossbow. They fired as Forte and Rain exchanged blow after blow. Clearly, Forte and Rain were no flukes, considering they were once top ranked senior students.

"Forte! It's time to do this!" Rain roared.

"With that?! It's a bit…embarrassing."

"This is not the best time to say that! What is your major mulfunction, numbnuts?"

Rain was too fixated defending her life at her former classmates while staring in bewilderment at Forte, who had a blush on her cheeks.

"We're doing this!"

"Oh! Are we really doing that?! Ok, I will do it!"

Forte fired pellets of ice that caused Houki and Ichika to take cover.

"Enough with the "this" and "that"! Can you two speak properly for once?" Houki questioned the two.

They rushed at the duo once again. Forte held Rain by her side, and gave her a passionate kiss to no end.

"Fire in the ice!"

Large armor of fire and ice covered them from top to bottom.

"You'll have to do better than that!" Ichika shouted.

Houki and Ichika sliced the armor, but Forte and Rain smirked like mischievous cats.

"Too bad you walked into our trap, perverted kid and big boobie girl."

The armor absorbed the blow, and reacted by shooting fire. Houki and Ichika were offended by their new nicknames Forte made up.

"That does it! Time to say goodbye!"

Before they reach to them, Forte and Rain disappeared in the blink of an eye. At the same time, Rain's accomplice took her time to pack up, walking leisurely for a job well done. They recalled Byakushiki and Akatsubaki, catching their breath. Houki gritted her teeth at Rain, her so called role model. Ichika frowned at their actions, knowing that they will forever be enemies.

"This is not good, we got to warn the others."

"Agreed, let's go!"


	16. Trigger

**Opening song: Rick Ross - War Ready Ft. Jeezy**

 **Time: 5:52PM - Kyoto**

A twenty-year old boy sat on a chair as he drank green tea, and set it on the table. What stood out from the people was his height at 180cm, rather tall among Japanese people. He is Flemish with dark blond hair, blue eyes, and six piercing on his cheek. He wore a dark hoodie and matching trousers. Next to him was a twelve-year old boy. What people don't know was they're beyond normal civilians.

"So, Mattheus, this is Kyoto…" said the adolescent, yawning.

"Yes, Joel Pearce. Come to think of it, I heard Ichika Orimura is here somewhere for a school trip."

"As long as the crazy fuck Tabane is not here in my presence, I'm glad to be here."

Mattheus was Ichika's good friend, aka brother that helped him through tough times in life. He's very no-nonsense when it comes to girls that treat him like a trophy. They noticed Liu walking towards them with a Mac-11 strapped to his waist.

"Chifuyu called me in to see you," said Mattheus. "Come take a seat."

Liu paused momentarily, and played along as he poured a cup of tea. Moments ago, Mattheus was called by Chifuyu to deal with Liu and Phantom Task. She knew Liu would come back to Kyoto, and she needed Mattheus to bring him under control.

Chifuyu knew Liu would snap if he returned by himself. Mattheus didn't care much for criminals, but he reluctantly accepted to bring Liu under control. He sat across Mattheus and Joel, and this was the first time seeing eye to eye. Liu stared at the adult while Mattheus kept his mouth shut seeing the Chinese gangster.

"…"

One minute passed by, neither of them said a word. Liu drank his tea, not keeping his eyes away at the Flemish adult. The silent treatment was getting awkward, and Mattheus had enough of it.

"Hey, stranger," said Mattheus. "You could have at least told us your name."

"…"

Mattheus shook his head when Liu refused to talk. "Maybe this should wake you up. You're Liu King-Sang, an IS pilot also associated with Righteousness Union."

Liu slightly frowned Mattheus knew his profile. "What do you want?"

They sip tea while the sun set, reflecting a beam of light.

"I'm Mattheus Adjzof, a friend of Ichika. This is Joel Pearce, known as Designer that created my IS, Lavathenian."

Liu appeared moderately surprised Mattheus was also a male IS pilot. Liu thought he and Ichika were the only ones, but that wasn't the case. What caught his attention the most was Joel. Even though he was young, he constructed an IS.

"Ex IRA engineer. I might not have the full capacity like Tabane, but I'm good enough to at least make an IS."

"You're telling me this creator made this?" Liu darted his eyes at the young Irish boy.

"Goddamn right I did! We know for a fact you recently hanged a person, and brutally stabbed a guy three times, and blew his mouth into pieces. What's up with that?"

"Personal issues."

Liu had suspicions they were undercover cops or witnesses that saw the shootout against Kaori.

"How do you know all of this?" Liu questioned the Flemish man and his young companion casually drinking tea.

"At ease, we're not cops. You're a criminal associated with Righteousness Union. It appears you have bad blood with Three Dragons. I can help if you listen to me."

Liu had a blank expression, still uncooperative with Mattheus and Joel.

"Give me a good reason why I should listen."

Mattheus kept his cool, folding his hands while Joel watched. "I don't want to fight you, but please don't test me. Take it from my words, Liu. I lost a bit too much, but that doesn't stop me from going on. I saw the report of the Triad shootout; Kaori's men killed your friends in the line of duty."

"You robbed Three Dragons' income sources that must have been the reason those mobs were after you," said Joel.

"Call it a payback for leaving me with Madoka and Tabane."

Mattheus frowned at Liu's dangerous lifestyle, and he knows the world better. Having the urge to make Liu fully cooperate, he was ready to use his equalizer.

"Based on your criminal background, I could end your life right away. You've done plenty of heinous crimes, and this would be your last thing you'll ever see. Watch what you're about to see, and don't you ever forget it."

He partial deployed Lavathenian as the giant dark brown slab of metal covered his forearms. It had spears attached and various guns jutted out. Mattheus whip out an AK-47, the classic Russian assault rifle, and a Spas-12 Italian semi-automatic shotgun on his left hand.

Liu wasn't going to be killed by someone he has never met. In response, he partial deployed Nightmare, pointing his Venom Slug at Mattheus. They could have squeezed the trigger, but Mattheus realized he couldn't kill Liu under the orders of Chifuyu. She wanted him alive because Liu might have possible clues that may lead to Three Dragons and Phantom Task. Those that saw the partial deployed personal IS scurried into the distance to get away.

"I see you're not a fluke to fast reaction. You're lucky I have to keep you alive so Chifuyu doesn't freak out."

Mattheus and Liu let their finger off the trigger to dispel the standoff. Mattheus knew he had to keep it diplomatic as possible to not bring unnecessary body bag. They deactivated their personal IS as the conversation ensues.

"Liu, how did you pilot an IS?" Joel asked.

"It was all because of Tabane," Liu replied. "She detained me when I tried to kill her for this curse. Back then, Three Dragons and I fought over an IS for proper ownership to the point we'll kill each other over it. Crackhead reverse engineered an IS so she doesn't have to clean our mess up."

Mattheus and Joel slightly shuddered at the criminal explaining his background. Joel agreed Liu's remark at Tabane because he too doesn't like her. Mattheus doesn't care that much about criminals, and could have killed Liu to get over it, but he patiently waited.

"We also don't like Tabane," said Joel, scratching his head. "She is a nutjob that doesn't know how to stop creating these mass weapons of destruction. Hell, Tabane only cares for Chifuyu, Houki, and Ichika. Ironically, she'll help with anyone. Did she happen to help Three Dragons?"

Liu nodded to confirm their suspicions. The more Liu has to hear Tabane, the more he wants to get away from the crazed scientist.

"It's true Three Dragons wouldn't stop to kill you for an IS," said Mattheus.

"He'll have to do better than that…it appears I'm not the second male IS pilot next to Ichika. How did you operate an IS?"

"Joel made it possible to construct Lavathenian solely for me. He's the genius to create a 10th Generation IS."

"You and Joel are close friends," said Liu.

"I ran into Joel when he lost his parents. We shared common interests; we're like brothers that always look out for each other. Anyone can get it should they dare to lay their finger on my brother. I mean it from the bottom from my heart."

Mattheus was getting there to make Liu cooperate without shedding blood from either sides. The conversation may have been irritating for them to talk to a criminal, but the effort was worth it.

"Liu, you're not getting away for ditching IS Academy," Mattheus warned. "You'll have some explanations when you show yourself. I'm not just an IS pilot, I'm a free agent. Perhaps you could make it up to Chifuyu from your self-exile journey. Bring her some souvenir gifts, if you catch my drift. As long as you don't try to provoke me, we'll be even."

"Perhaps I-"

"Look, mommy, a shooting star!" a young girl pointed at the bright blur. The mother picked her up to get a better view. In the city streets, Shen stood on the intersection, partial deploying her IS scorpion tail and rocket launcher pods jutted on her back. She fired an EMP shock wave cannon aiming towards Liu, Mattheus, and Joel. The mother realized the projectile was coming fast, and held her daughter tightly to run away.

"RUUUNNN!" The mother screamed.

The electrical round exploded on impact, releasing shock wave energy that obliterated few civilians. Before Liu, Mattheus and Joel said a word, the shock wave knocked their tea and table away.

"What the-?!"

"Joel and I will stop the assailant. Now hurry! He and his friends, along with the students might be in danger!"

Liu readied his Mac-11 while Mattheus and Joel cracked their knuckles, activating Lavathenian to pursue the assailant. They saw Chifuyu running towards Shen with her katanas. However, an IS military unit intervened, and traded blows against Shen.

"Do your worst, cretin!" The IS pilot yelled. "You want a piece of me? You want a piece of me?!"

Even though she was clearly outclassed, she didn't give up to fight with bravery. Shen used her tail to repeatedly jab the IS pilot, and she was paralyzed. The IS pilot was out of energy shield, completely defenseless against Shen. She grabbed the IS pilot with immense strength, and she screamed in pain until Shen viciously tore her in half. Blood and guts spewed out of her lifeless body as Shen threw them away, angering Chifuyu, Mattheus, and Joel.

In her mind, Shen callously declared the IS pilot. _No! I want two._

"Who the hell is this sicko…?!" Joel said in disgust at Shen's barbaric execution.

Mattheus said, "She is on another level of psychotic."

How could Shen's partial IS have the strength against a fully armed military IS unit?

"You will pay for that, Shen, and the police officers that you killed." Chifuyu said in a low, dark tone.

Chifuyu did several somersaults to avoid Shen's EMP projectile, scaring the crap out of a woman sitting in the middle of the street. Joel went to the other side while Mattheus stood on his position to cover fire. Before Shen lock on her target, Joel jumped on top of Shen, and pointed her tail away from Chifuyu. Shen was forced to materialized Dread Gauntlet, and threw Joel against a car that tried to wreck her right rocket launcher pod.

Mattheus didn't like the way Shen attacked Kyoto, Chifuyu, and throwing Joel like a doll. He pulled out his Chasseur, and squeezed the trigger, firing a high-powered caliber. The projectile struck a direct hit on Shen. When the smoke clears, it barely put a dent on her. Dread Gauntlet was an 8-legged 2nd Generation IS that resembled a Omdurman scorpion, better known as Deathstalker.

"Heh? That didn't even put a scratch on her!"

"Any idea what her name is?"

As Mattheus helped Joel back on his feet, Shen indulged her brief moment of curiosity by looking straight back at the trio.

"That is Shen Xun, Three Dragons' bodyguard," said Chifuyu. "Her IS, Dread Gauntlet has been equipped with illegal weapons and armor. Don't expect this an easy fight."

Shen was heavily armored colored blood red with shiny, chrome shoulder pads protruded with spikes, and multi-eyed neural interface helmet rested on her head, fully concealing her face. The disturbing part of the color was Shen looked like she took a blood bath. She revealed tekko-kagi with extendable claws built into her gauntlets. In addition, the indestructible blades create an extremely intimidating silhouette for the purpose of psychological combat.

"If you think you can fuck us up, you'll have to do better than that, ho."

"…"

Shen's silence was her response as she activated double barrel gatling gun on her hands. The tip of her tail revealed a stinger ready to dish out some damage. Not only Dread Gauntlet looked like an improved version of Arachne, it packed serious firepower almost equivalent to a military tank.

"I have a feeling one won't be enough to take down that insect," said Mattheus.

"Talk about a thing that's built solid rock, possibly the hardest enemy we'll ever face. Any ideas, Orimura-sensei?"

"I wish I knew," Chifuyu replied, gripping her katanas. "But right now, I don't, and Shen is looking forward to this…"

As they face against Shen, six-barrel guns slowly whirred counting to certain destruction, and the showdown has begun.

Shen raised her arms to let loose barrage of firepower at extreme high fire rate. The sound was ear splitting from the gatling gun, and they barely dodged in time. Anti IS high caliber bullets tore the pavement into disfigured mess, spitting chunks of asphalt. Mattheus fired his AK-47 and Spas-12 to cover fire for Chifuyu. She charged with katanas over her head, but Shen expected it. She fired heat-seeking missiles, forcing Chifuyu to double back.

Joel fired his modified revolver to destroy the chasing projectiles before returning fire at Shen. He threw a grenade that exploded in front of her. Shen covered her hands, and Joel fired more rounds, pushing her back. She fired two heat-seeking missiles at Mattheus and Joel to spread them apart, leaving Chifuyu an opening chance to attack close up. Mattheus and Joel flew upwards, returning fire to keep distracting her.

Chifuyu landed direct hits at her armor. It left some scratch marks, but it'll take more than that to break Shen. She used her tekko-kagi, trading blows with Chifuyu. Blades clashed each other, dancing in wildly fashion. Shen raised her tail up high, and swung it down. Chifuyu rolled over as the tail stabbed the pavement, leaving a small crater hole.

If she didn't dodge, Chifuyu would have been paralyzed, and ripped apart, or shot to death. However, she wasn't in the clear when the tail tried to stab her again. Like a snake, the tail repeatedly jabs and stab as Chifuyu parried the attack, stabbing pair of swords on the ground. Mattheus took aim and fired his Chasseur at Shen. The giant bullet scorched through the air, hitting Shen in the left arm. Shen went on the defense as Mattheus continued to fire. That was the distraction Chifuyu needed to set up her trap. Overwhelmed by the high caliber rounds, Shen walked backwards, unaware of the surprise behind her. She fired her gatling gun to flush Mattheus and Joel out of cover.

"So much for being invisible," said Joel, returning fire.

Distracted from her shooters, Shen stepped into Chifuyu's trap. She snapped her finger, and the swords exploded, covering Shen in multiple explosions. Shen didn't even fall once, much to the confusion of Chifuyu, Mattheus, and Joel.

"You've got to be shitting me!" Mattheus exclaimed, finding cover in a building as Shen fired nonstop. "All our attacks barely brought her knees down."

"Bring in the White Death," Joel replied. "That has to be the way to stop her reign of terror."

Shen fired heat-seeking missiles and her gatling gun simultaneously as Chifuyu kept Shen at bay so they can set up White Death. It's the most powerful weapon that can destroy an IS in one shot. Only Mattheus can wield such illegal weapon. The long-range cannon rested on Mattheus's right shoulder as Joel aimed carefully. Chifuyu looked behind, and smirked as she jumped out of the way.

"Time to die, bitch," said Joel, squeezing the trigger.

The 40mm exploded in a cloud of smoke and fire that covered an entire block.

"Hold your fire!" Chifuyu commanded, drawing her katanas. The smoke clears, and the aftermath left a huge crater hole with fire around it. There was no sign of Shen, sending warning signs.

"Where did she go?" said Mattheus, looking for Shen.

"Oh shit…LOOK OUT!" Joel yelled.

It turns out Shen evaded the one shot kill by jumping sky high out of their view. Hurling down like a comet, she touchdown, producing a small earthquake. Shen fired at Mattheus and Joel to break apart again. Chifuyu threw a backhand slash, but Shen swiped them, and grabbed her legs. She threw her against parked cars and pavements repeatedly. Shen threw her in the air, slashing her chest four times, and executed a flying kick to her face.

Chifuyu was hurled 75 feet, and slammed against a container truck, destroying the panels. The blades tore half of her suit, drawing nasty gash marks with blood. Mattheus and Joel couldn't believe the raw strength of Shen because this was the toughest opponent they faced. Shen took the time to ready her tail once again as Mattheus and Joel rushed to aid Chifuyu battered.

"…What are you doing…?" Chifuyu winced in pain. "I can get up on my feet."

Chifuyu was whiskered to safety; Mattheus and Joel readied White Death. They were beyond mad at Shen's reign of terror. Before Joel could put an end to her, Shen waddled her finger. No one ever waddles his or her finger, especially Mattheus and Joel.

"Never stick your finger again you fucking bitch!" Mattheus yelled.

Shen pointed her gatling gun at a bus filled with passengers, a cowardly move to hold them hostages. Shen pointed at Chifuyu, drew a line across her own neck. Shen's interpretation was if they don't bring Chifuyu out hiding, she'd kill them. The barrels slowly whirred at the terrified hostages, screaming in horror. Joel brought Chifuyu, and Shen appeared to let her hostages go. Suddenly, Shen had second thoughts, and kicked the bus towards them. Without Joel to operate White Death, it's impossible for Mattheus to operate it.

"That was a dirty trick!" Chifuyu shouted at Shen that had no qualms of putting civilians in danger.

Shen's tail transformed into a cannon as she unleashed a massive shock wave that shattered the cars and windows of several buildings around the three. Mattheus, Joel, and Chifuyu were blown away, but even the power Shen had, didn't knock them out. They were lucky Shen didn't blast them point blank, or the damage would have been much more devastating. Joel still sitting on Mattheus, tried to fire White Death, but it didn't do anything because of the EMP shock wave. It burned out the circuits, rendering the guns useless.

"Tsk, she fried our guns," Joel groaned.

In response, Mattheus drew his Goedendag with the chain sticking out. Shen withdrew her gatling guns to use tekko-kagi, extending its blades. If she was asking for hand-to-hand combat, they weren't afraid to go for it. They charged at Shen as she parried their attacks. The blades made contact against Mattheus's body, but luckily for the man, Lavathenian protected him from being torn apart. Joel landed some strikes on her, though it caused little injury and had no lasting effect. Her tail plummeted towards Mattheus and Joel, narrowly avoiding it.

"Watch out for its tail! Get stabbed by it, you won't move for a while."

Reminding how Shen paralyzed the military IS unit, neither of them wanted to be the next victim. Mattheus swung the blade at Shen while Joel went for her tail. Unfortunately, Shen knew Joel would go after her tail, and used her legs to block their attacks while she prepared for a counter. Shen fired missiles again as she laid her target on Chifuyu. They did their best to stop Shen, but she swatted them like mosquitoes that left them unconscious. Chifuyu managed to block the finishing blow from Shen. That didn't last long enough as Shen raised her left foot upward, and swung it down at Chifuyu's head like an axe. The heel struck on top of her skull with a loud crack as her vision went blurry momentarily from the devastating kick, having no idea how and where it all happened.

She was slashed five times, drawing more blood from the sharp blades. Chifuyu felt her whole body was close of falling apart when Shen savagely beat her to a pulp with enhance strength. As her final act of violence, she slammed Chifuyu against a sedan, destroying it in the process. By the time Mattheus and Joel recovered, Shen threw the Brunhilde at them like a football.

"Chifuyu!" Mattheus and Joel shouted simultaneously.

They caught her in time, but why Shen didn't take the chance to kill them? She had the ability to decimate them, but she didn't use all of it. Chifuyu began to feel frustrated as if Shen mocked their fighting abilities. Shen merely played them like toys.

"Is that all you got?" Chifuyu said groggily, coughing blood. "Your attacks barely put a dent on us."

"…"

Shen remained her usual silent way, pointing at Chifuyu's bloody gash marks on her chest, face, and her torn suit. Shen shook her head at Chifuyu that won't surrender. Chifuyu was asking for another beat down, despite the fact she was injured. A private link opened up for Shen.

"Squall's troops have finished recon, they're ready to deploy. It's best you should fall back now."

Shen's playtime expired because she was ordered by Three Dragons to create a distraction. She waved a goodbye to the three, not before sticking her tongue out, and fired her remaining missiles. Thinking fast, Mattheus carried Chifuyu, and Joel, and flew towards the sky to elude the missiles. By the time they descend to the ground, Shen was long gone.

"She is tough all right for a bodyguard," said Mattheus. "We got to warn the others."

"…Shen…won't get away with this," Chifuyu muttered, spitting blood.

She was badly injured, definitely in no good condition to fight. Joel looked through his binoculars on the horizon; more bad news was on the way.

"I'm seeing bad looking vehicles three o clock."

Phantom Task convoy was closing in on them. Mattheus remembered a few black European cars and SUVs parked at the lot, and when he saw the convoy, it was almost similar. At that point, the three realized those troops did reconnaissance the entire time. In conclusion, Ichika and the girls were in trouble. They had to hurry to warn them, but it wouldn't be enough because a fight was coming soon. Luckily for Mattheus and Joel, their firearms were back to normal from the EMP blast, and the fact it was temporarily.

Mattheus quickly made a plan. Taking care of Chifuyu was the first priority. After that, Ichika and his friends had to be taken care off.

"Joel, I'll bring Chifuyu to a safe place, and then I'm off to look for Ichika. Think you're up for it to find one of his friends?"

Joel smiled at his older brother. "Leave it to me! No mere Phantom Task goons will stop me. I'll meet you on the other side."

Before they could go, Chifuyu tugged on the man's arm.

"Wait, here are the pictures of Ichika's friends. Tell them they're in trouble, and make it quick."

Chifuyu gave them a PDA of Ichika's friends. Joel had no problem remembering all of Ichika's friends, glancing the small biography underneath their pictures until he saw Cecilia, and slightly shuddered.

 _Oh great, an English girl is the last thing I want to encounter._

Joel went off in one direction while Mattheus raced to the safe place, carrying Chifuyu bridal style.

'I hope Liu gets to one of the pilots as well. I don't like him, but without his fire power, we're fucked.'

* * *

Liu went on his own to search for Ichika and the gang. He knew they wouldn't be happy, especially Rin for ditching IS Academy, but he had to find them before Phantom Task did any harm to them. Walking fast, he looked everywhere, but no progress had been made. Unexpectedly, Liu saw Rin walking towards him, and he walked to the other side. The worst part for him had happened, namely running into Rin. Two men in suits appear in front of her. They looked like businessmen running for a meeting, but the way they had their left hand on the pocket were bad signs for the two. Without saying a word, they drew their CZ 75 and opened fire.

Rin partial deployed Shenlong, swatting the bullets in one swift motion like a broom, but they were pushing her back.

"!"

She was dumbstruck that the 9x19mm Parabellum put a dent on her, let alone an anti IS caliber.

"Who are you?" Rin questioned the assassins.

The men remained silent and continued shooting at Rin. She threw her Souten Gagetsu at lightning speed, but they anticipated the attack, and ducked. As the men reloaded, a shot rang out from the other side, followed by a burst fire. They collapsed, but their bulletproof vest protected them from any fatal injuries. As they returned fire, two bullets struck one man in the head.

The surviving man fired relentlessly, missing his shots until he ran out of bullets. He quickly reloaded, but a double tap to the neck and a shot to the head executed him. A moment of silence passed, the shooter turned out to be Liu, clutching a machine pistol on his left hand. Rin was shocked to see Liu came back unexpectedly as she stared at the dead men that attempted to kill her.

"…"

Liu did not receive a friendly welcome back from Rin as she glared back when he approached her. She raised her right hand with all its strength, and threw a hook at Liu. That was her warm welcome, and Liu didn't even bother to block as he absorbed the blow. The knockout punch blew him to the ground with blood dripping from his lower lip.

"Training must have paid you off," said Liu, wiping the blood from his mouth. "A rerun of your-"

"You blockhead! You broke the promise of not going after Three Dragons! Why I ought to burst your melon for your stupidity!" Rin shouted stomping Liu's stomach.

Liu frowned at the Chinese girl lifting her right foot, and blocked the stomp with his bare hands crushing its grip. He had enough of that.

"Don't forget where I'm from, remember that?"

"I don't care! Your guys can get it too! Why don't you go back to your family and forget about me and IS Academy?"

Rin attempted to axe kick Liu. The young man snapped, and violently threw Rin against a light pole. Rin was shaken up from the impact against the hard steel. It only fueled her to beat him up even more. She had a dozen good reasons to be mad that Liu left the IS Academy for his selfish purposes. The worst thing Liu done was he broke her promise to not let vendettas get the best of him. Being mad is justifiable, but assaulting Liu for coming back was the breaking point. He was not going to put up with it, and had to get equal.

"That was for punching me at the monorail station," Liu said slowly and strictly, slamming his fist near her right ear. "You're off the hook Nightmare is still undergoing self-repair or I would have done a lot more than just fists and kicks. Don't ever do that again."

"Fine, I'll forget everything starting with my welcoming, and I'm not angry anymore…I told you I'm not ANGRY!"

Liu reloaded his gun, while Rin gritted her teeth, materializing Shenlong as she threw the light pole away. In reality, Rin was still mad at Liu and at herself for not being able to protect him. She was about to kill Liu with her Ryuhou. However, Rin stopped to remember one important fact. If anything happen to Liu, she would be held responsible.

"Tell me, Liu, who were those two guys, and why they didn't introduce themselves before they tried to kill me in cold blood?"

Liu turned his head to Rin. "Phantom Task troops. It's pointless if they said it out loud. They straight up do it, or they would have been blowing smoke out of their ass."

His words were merely spoken before dozens of troops open fire at Rin and Liu. She blasted invisible bullets as Liu stood on his ground to return fire. The troops didn't stand a chance against Shenlong, and were obliterated in less than 4 seconds. Rin stared at Liu in more detail, noting how serious Liu was when he took his 590A1. More troops arrived as Rin and Liu let loose of their weapons.

Rin charged with her Souten Gagetsu, taking them down one by one so fast they couldn't get a shot on her. Liu let his shotgun do the talking at the troops fixated on Rin. They didn't see it coming from the 12 gauge buckshot shells incapacitated them. Liu fired all 8 rounds as smoke came out of the barrel. Like old times of fighting side-by-side, Rin and Liu decimated the surviving troops with pure strength.

Liu quickly reloaded his shotgun while Rin twirled her scimitars.

"So, what now, Liu?"

Rin relieved her anger from wiping out troops as her stress reliever.

Liu cocked his shotgun as reinforcements arrive, but it was just the appetizer. "Warn Ichika and the others we're-"

 **Fwoosh!**

A stream of fire blocked their path, torching nearby stores, making a fire haze. Biggest question was where the hell did that come from? As the fire simmered down, Kaori in Phoenix walked through the fire, the most evil grin both of them had seen. Rin blasted Ryuhou, but Kaori didn't budge as she manipulated her fire to dispel the invisible bullets. Rin's advantage was rendered useless.

"Aww, you two are so adorable," said Kaori in a cheery tone. "It's a shame you'll have to die together. It's the least I can do for you."

A cross-popping vein appeared on his right forehead. "This bitch is on my bucket list to fuck her up next to Three Dragons."

Liu was ever inclined to keep that damn promise. Rin agreed that Kaori was just as bad as Phantom Task. She has to be put down for good. So for now, a truce was in order.

"You're asking to sign your death warrant? I'll be glad to put your sorry ass away," Rin replied looking Kaori dead in the eye to skewer that flaming bird.

Kaori slightly tilted her head, drawing Vortex on her left hand as the seven blades spin rapidly, igniting flames.

"Like I said, you boyfriend and girlfriend will die here together. Go find the rest and fuck them up. These two, well, I'll deal with these lovebirds myself."

They were disgusted at Kaori's remark because there was no way they would ever form a relationship or a legal one. Given the fact Rin is a Representative Candidate of China, and Liu is a criminal associated with Righteousness Union, those two sides weren't to say a really good mix. Kaori acted cheerful on the surface, but on the inside, she was itching to kill the two teenagers. The time they tried to interrogate her only worked fueled her desire to kill them. Kaori's troops dispersed as she spit fire. Rin swiped them away while Liu let loose of his shotgun. The shells barely hurt Kaori, but at least Liu did something to keep her busy. Round 2 has begun for the Chinese duo against the Japanese girl.

* * *

Sun began to set, and Laura and Charlotte had no clue they were being tailed. 20 men and women divided into 4 groups of 5, taking battle positions to wait for the right moment for an ambush. Laura loved the Japanese sweets shaped like bunnies so much that she looked everywhere to buy them. She found the jackpot in front of her, and took out money to buy dozens of them.

"I want all of these cutesy candies! I got money."

How could a super soldier be so, so demanding?

"No, Laura," Charlotte tugged her best friend away. "You're wasting money on these candies. Save them for something better."

"Nein! They're too good, and my taste buds beg me to get them right now."

Her childish protest caused Charlotte to chuckle. How can she keep up with that girl? Laura broke free, and placed her money on the counter. The lady clerk smiled while concealing her combat knife behind her back. What they don't know was she was a Phantom Task troop disguised as a clerk. Charlotte sighed at Laura's addiction to sweets, not noticing the clerk's sneak attack. When Laura rested her hands on the counter, the clerk drew her combat knife, and slammed it down. Laura's quick reflexes saved her from being stabbed in the hand.

"HELP!" The clerk shouted, which was the signal to call her troops to open fire.

"Hey! That was uncalled for!" Charlotte and Laura said.

The clerk drew her Walther P99 stainless steel side, and squeezed the trigger. Laura and Charlotte ducked the .40 S&W that narrowly scalped their foreheads as Charlotte partial deployed Garm to return fire. She defended herself with a ballistic shield tuned to withstand IS weaponry as troops open fire. She didn't stop firing her gun, and to make things worse, the troops also had shields.

"Fuck! We're in the middle of an ambush, " said Laura, materializing Schwarzer Regen.

"Why are these people attacking us?"

"If I have to guess, those are Phantom Task foot soldiers out to kill us."

Charlotte activated Rafale Revive Custom II, returning fire at the troops while Laura used her AIC to negate the opposing projectiles. Dozens of troops came from all directions, and Laura growled.

* * *

Cecilia left alone by her friends ran furiously. Her anger came from Houki that had taken Ichika for herself. Wanting a piece of the cake, she won't stop to take Ichika away from Houki by any means necessary. That is, if she could find them first before the others do.

"That damn Houki thinks she's the hot shot with her big titties…I will not accept that!"

Cecilia didn't pay attention and accidentally bumped into Joel. The young boy came from around the corner, and he didn't pay attention either. By the time he saw the British girl's eyes, Joel quickly backed off. Cecilia appeared disgusted seeing the young Irish boy. While she could appreciate Ichika, she still thought most of the men were weak. Ichika could, and he nearly defeated her. In her opinion, Ichika was better than most men.

"EEEKKK!" Cecilia shrieked, partial deploying her drones. Her anger caused her to be very pissed.

"Oh hell no! Watch where you're going, bimbo," Joel replied, his accent coming through, revealing his heritage. The worst had happened because he ran into Cecilia Alcott, a British girl who firmly believed in female and English supremacy.

"Watch where YOU'RE going, you infantile pillock!" Cecilia snapped back.

"That's my line, dumb blonde Brit!" Joel retorted.

Joel drew his energy dagger and spanner at Cecilia. Because Joel is Irish and grew with the IRA, given Cecilia's English heritage, the nasty peace between the United Kingdom and Ireland made it in this minute. They didn't like each other.

"Clean your ears out and listen up. You, Ichika, and his friends are in trouble because Phantom Task are-"

"Why should I believe this Irish pot-licking donkey? Go find your mommy and daddy. Youngsters shouldn't be running around alone."

Cecilia's arrogant attitude caused her to cut the young boy off. Joel gritted his teeth when Cecilia interrupted him. Mentioning his dead parents that died for their homeland insulted him further. She took it too far when she hurled a derogatory insult about Ireland that pushed him to the edge.

"The fuck you'd just say to me?! You want to die, bitch? You don't know me at all! Your parents ought to be ashamed of your behavior. Put down your drones, and let me finish what I'm trying to say."

Joel's breaking point exploded. He just so much wanted to put a bullet in her head. If Mattheus didn't tell him otherwise, he might have done that.

"Insolent swine, I'll make you regret flapping your big mouth…DIE!"

Cecilia fired back, believing Joel mocked her deceased parents. Funny how similar those two were.

"Listen to me, goddamn it! I'm not joking at all about Phantom Task. Those savages are going all out to turn this place into a wasteland. You're not supposed to shoot the messenger!" Joel shouted.

"Shut it! Stand still to get mauled up for saying about my parents, little brat."

Joel tried to reason Cecilia, but her response was releasing drones to chase Joel. He deflected the lasers, and dismantled her drone with his spanner. Cecilia ignored Joel's warning because she was too focused on killing Joel. She wasn't affected by her downed drone, and continued to fire until a hail of gunfire interrupted them, followed by Autumn firing her ray gun. Her laugh really emphasized on her unstable character.

"Here comes Autumn! Ahahaha!"

Autumn stood on the rooftop as troops surrounded Cecilia and Joel with QCW-05 pointed at their faces.

"Who are you, you psycho?" Cecilia asked.

"Goddamn it, I'M AUTUMN! How could not remember me?"

Cecilia didn't quite remember her, even though Autumn attacked IS Academy not that long ago. Joel sneered seeing the psychotic woman and her troops. He wasn't really looking forward to that.

"I just dealt with a scorpion, now a spider?" Joel shuddered at Autumn's hideous arthropod appearance.

"Why don't you two just fuck already?!"

Autumn's cruel insult triggered both Cecilia and Joel, and fired her ray gun. Cecilia and Joel were forced to put aside of their nationality pride to take down Autumn. The troops open fire as Cecilia activated Blue Tears to give Joel the time to take cover, firing his revolver.

"This is what I was trying to tell you!" Joel reprimanded. "For once, can't you just listen to me? You owe me an apology for those comments you hurled at me to make it up."

Cecilia initially refused to apologize Joel, but when Autumn and her troops were inches away from killing her, she had no choice, but to comply. She needed backup, and Joel was there to lend her a hand.

"Fine! I'm sorry for not giving you the time to talk, and insulted you. I encountered Autumn before, and I'll tell you a few things about her. Does that make you happy?"

She pleaded in the best way she could.

"Apology accepted…hold it, you encountered Autumn before?" Joel looked slowly back at the Brit to the psychotic Japanese woman.

"Yes when she tried to steal Byakushiki and attempted to kill Ichika. Autumn is a Phantom Task agent that loses her rocker quick. Be careful for her arms and armor, they're tough to break through."

Cecilia didn't know if she could tell a civilian that but Joel proved in two minutes he was anything but a civilian.

"Thanks for giving me the Intel about Autumn, woman."

"Excuse me! I have a name, and it's Cecilia Alcott, the great representative of England. Stick that into your brain, and don't forget it."

"I guess that's how Brits act nowadays. I'll give myself a quick introduction. I'm Joel Pearce, ex IRA IS engineer. What are your ideas to terminate that bug?"

Joel was strong, no questions asked. But even with his power, taking on an IS without Mattheus or assistance was suicide. Cecilia slowly nodded at her unlikely ally, wishing she teamed up with someone else that was not Irish. But beggars couldn't choose.

"I'll keep her distracted while you repel her goons."

Cecilia nearly forgot one last tip to Joel and said. "By the way, Arachne can spit spider webs, be aware of that."

"Sounds fair to me. On the comment you made about my parents, they were killed. Just to let you know, I didn't come alone. I came with Mattheus and Chifuyu to inform you, Ichika, and his friends about Phantom Task launching an attack. That is, if you didn't attack me in the first place!"

"Your parents are dead? Who is Mattheus, and where is Chifuyu?" Cecilia questioned.

Joel grumbled at the Brit like they were playing 21 Questions. "Mattheus is my older brother, first real male pilot, good friend of Ichika. As for Chifuyu, Shen roughed her up pretty bad. I won't repeat myself again because you call me a pot-licking donkey again, I'll turn your head upside down."

Cecilia sighed at the young Irish boy. "I hope Chifuyu is ok. Now you mention it, my parents also died from an accident. I guess there's no choice but to fight together. Don't you dare run your mouth again about my parents, or I'll fill your body full of holes."

"Oh I won't because Autumn is asking to get her ass kicked." Joel smirked and cracked his knuckles. For a Brit, Cecilia was maybe not that bad.

* * *

"Where's Chifuyu?" said Yuko Tanimoto.

The students were concerned she had not returned yet. Maya placed her hand on her chin, thinking where she could have gone until Mattheus arrived, carrying Chifuyu. The Raven Brunhilde was battered from fighting Shen. Kanzashi gasped at the gash marks, covering her mouth.

"W-wait a minute! Who are you?" Kanzashi snapped at Mattheus. The young man wasn't the most comforting sight.

Mattheus set Chifuyu down gently. "I'm a friend of Ichika Orimura, the name is Mattheus Adjzof. I'll tell you more soon because Phantom Task forces are on the way. We're in for a war."

"I got into a scrap with Shen Xun…Get these students to a safe place because we're under attack by Phantom Task..." Chifuyu ordered Maya.

"Good luck out there, Mattheus!" Maya shouted before Mattheus took off.

"Did you forget? I make my own luck."

The students were stunned that a third male could pilot the IS. Mattheus gave a brief smile and flew away. Chifuyu coughed blood while students huddled to treat her wounds.

"Orimura sensei, this is going to hurt, so bear with me," Kiyoka said, taking out her medical equipment.

As the students took Chifuyu to a safe place, Kanzashi and Maya stood on their ground to defend the students. A sound of guns cocked caught their attention when a battalion of troops surrounded them.

"Give us Miss. Orimura," the female troop leader announced, aiming her Galil ACE 52. "We'll let you and your students walk away unharmed."

"Back off!" Maya shouted, materializing Rafale Revive Basic. "You'll never lay your finger on my students and Chifuyu."

Feeling the wrath for what they had done, Kanzashi activated Uchigane Nishiki, aiming her Shunrai.

"Oh…so unwise, kill them all."

The leader gave the approval to use deadly force.

* * *

Houki and Ichika ran nonstop to meet up with the rest. Like everyone else, they were unaware that the others were tied up with Phantom Task troops. Mattheus saw them running towards him, and waved his hand.

"Oi! Ichika!"

The Knight got a shock seeing someone in front of him, he hadn't seen for a long time.

"Mattheus? Hey! What brings you here?" Nonetheless, he was happy to see Mattheus again.

Ichika and Mattheus bumped fist, overjoyed to see each other. Ichika couldn't stop smiling at his good friend that looked out for him. In his eyes, Mattheus was more than just a friend; he was like his brother like Chifuyu was his sister. He was also a mentor to who he could relate, talk about his troubles, and life in general. Mattheus grinned, then looked at Houki.

"Out for a vacation I wish to say so, but that ain't the case. Man, am I glad to see you as well. How are you doing?"

"I'm good, asides from dealing with the girls that were after me nonstop like crazy fan girls that won't shut up." Ichika said, hiding his smirk. His chances with Mattheus around were a lot better.

Houki flared up while Ichika and Mattheus chuckled slightly at his emotionally unstable Kendo champ.

"Oh, sorry about that, Houki," said Ichika sheepishly. "I'm telling the hard hitting truth. You got to admit that, right?"

"You win this round, but tell this to anyone else, I'll make you train with me the whole week my way."

The aura around the girl made Mattheus cringe a bit. Houki was suspicious about their friendship, and wanted to know.

"Ichika, how did you know him?" Houki asked.

Ichika sighed and said. "It all started when you moved out at the end of 4th Grade, and Rin moved in at the beginning of 5th Grade. One day after the last day of school, we went to an arcade entertainment center to celebrate. We played games nonstop until Mattheus came along…"

Houki raised an eyebrow when Ichika said Mattheus. "An arcade entertainment center?"

"Let him finish his sentence, Houki," said Mattheus.

Ichika grinned at Mattheus to back him up. "He saw me playing Street Fighter, and asked me if he could play with him. I said yes because I was good at fighting games, and give it a shot. However, Mattheus was better that knew almost every combo list. No matter how hard I tried to beat him, he came on top to the point I cried. Rin couldn't bear it, and cried as well."

Mattheus chuckled reminiscing the good days playing video games to kill time. He knew better to cheer him up when he tarnished Ichika's winning streaks. Because they share an interest of video games, Mattheus knew he found a friend to relate to.

Mattheus quipped in. "I gave them some of my techniques to brighten their mood. Next thing I knew, Ichika started challenging some kids to play with him. Oh man, he beat them one by one, leaving them scared as shit. The cool part was Rin gained some confidence to stand up against being bullied when Ichika defended her once. She had enough of being bullied, and earned a fiery mouth that scolded her bullies so harsh that they cried. They seemed to be cool to be called friends."

Ichika held a picture of himself, Rin, and Mattheus smiling outside of an arcade entertainment center.

"An obnoxious couple harassed us for no reason, and tried to laid their hands on us. Mattheus beat them up until they apologized. He didn't care whether if it was a man or woman. He doesn't like anyone insulting him and his friends at all. His strength came to protect his comrades at all cost. That's where I found my belief to do the same thing as him."

Houki got slightly aghast at their long friendship. Ichika continued to explain his back-story.

"We ended up at a Chinese restaurant Rin's parents used to run. For building a new friendship, we stayed there to play, chat, and even had a sleepover. Chifuyu isn't always free to watch me, so I hang out with Mattheus to talk about my problems and life in general. When I feel down in the dumps, he's like a counselor that can solve any problems I threw to resolve them. Because we hang out quite often to the point Mattheus calls me brother, I couldn't be much more happier."

Mattheus gave a warm sincere smile on his face. "That will never break at all, even when I had to leave. Since then, we kept in touch to not forget it, and that's how we are good friends."

Houki slowly nodded and said. "I see how you two got acquainted like brothers, but why was Mattheus at Japan in the first place?"

"I studied abroad at Japan for 4 months for a school project I had to do. I had to explore Japan to see what it's like travelling to a new world. It was long, but interesting to explore a new world. Quite frankly, it wasn't too bad because I get to meet some new people and the culture itself. That's how I met Joel Pearce because we had the same class. We had similar backgrounds of how we lost our parents. We hung out a couple of times to know each other. Joel is a cool kid, yet also pretty mature for a young age. When Chifuyu noticed I hang out with Ichika regularly at his house, she thought Joel and I weren't too bad to be a good friend."

Ichika chimed in to support him. "Chifuyu was a bit more relaxed at home, unlike at her workplace where she is strict and authoritative. She thought of Mattheus and Joel decent people to hang out at my house. The only condition she wanted was not to be a bad influence to her little brother."

Houki understood their long friendship that they cherished. "Makes sense now that you're buddy buddy."

"Definitely. Mattheus, this is my childhood friend Houki Shinonono."

Mattheus and Houki briefly smiled, shaking hands before he turned serious to address the situation.

"I'm not here to treat you guys for sushi, but it would be great for later. Onto serious matter, Me, Joel, and Chifuyu ran afoul with Shen Xun."

Houki blinked. "Shen Xun?"

"Three Dragons' bodyguard. You guys were lucky you didn't run into her because she is extremely tough to deal with."

"How tough are we talking about?"

"Think of someone that is an insect, but stronger, smarter, and more brutal."

Nine out of ten, Ichika would know about whom Mattheus was talking about.

"Oh no," said Houki. "Is it Autumn you're talking about?"

"Correct," Mattheus answered. "But remember, this one is not a fluke because Shen is a highly skilled IS pilot that can hold against multiple opponents. I'm speaking from my own experience."

He didn't want to remember Shen's brute attacks when she tore a military IS unit in half, and her dirty method that nearly killed innocent civilians. It sent a chill down his spine when Shen almost mauled Chifuyu to death.

"Here are her specs of Dread Gauntlet and Shen's profile. Thing is modified beyond legal status. And that's coming from me, given how my Infinite Stratos is made. My weapons are meant to kill, not to maim."

As Mattheus handed Houki and Ichika the PDA of Shen and Dread Gauntlet, their eyes widened reading the illegal weapons' specs. Ichika dealt with Autumn not too long ago, and seeing another 8 legged IS was his least favorite opponent to fight.

"Ichika, I don't know which one is the worst to deal with," said Houki. "Autumn the spider on bath salt, or Shen the scorpion infused with Shredder?"

"I would say Autumn, but Shen took the cake when she tore a military IS unit in half. What the hell is she?" Ichika gulped.

"Beyond human, Ichika and Houki, that's for pretty damn sure. Shen didn't stick around to fight. She was here to create destruction and that was it. Hell, she's like an indestructible tank. Phantom Task is going all out to turn this place into a war zone, and we're sitting front row seats."

Ichika sharpened his eyes at Mattheus. "They're up to no good as usual, where's Chifuyu?"

Mattheus shook his head, knowing Ichika would not take the news lightly because family was holy to Ichika.

He had to be careful using his words to not provoke Ichika. "Chifuyu got a brutal smack down from Shen. As of now, she's being taken care of by Maya, Kanzashi and her students. We got to hurry because there's not much time."

"Show me where she is! Shen won't get away with this the next time she shows up."

"I can lead you to Chifuyu, my friend."

Houki and Ichika were on fight mode, activating Byakushiki and Akatsubaki. While they were on the way to see Chifuyu, Madoka fired her Star Breaker, blocking their path. Troops fired their RPD as the anti IS 7.62x39mm slightly damaged their energy shields. Standing in front of troops with drum magazine machine guns can make anyone stop in their tracks. Madoka waved her right hand to cease-fire.

"I don't remember seeing Phantom Task with soldiers!" Houki exclaimed.

"They're packing modified firearms that can match against IS," Mattheus replied, pulling the bolt straight on Chasseur. "Three Dragons supplied them for his evil schemes. They're not letting us pass through by the looks of it."

Ichika shook his head at the troops well equipped made to bring harm. Phantom Task has done enough damage to shake the world in terror.

"Seems Phantom Task need troops to protect the top dogs," said Ichika, drawing his Yukihara Type 2. "What's next, crooked IS pilots?"

Troops wait for further orders as Madoka approached them.

"Ichika Orimura, you're the first one to have your life cut off."

"Why are you after me?"

Madoka scoffed at her twin brother. "You're just a small fry. My main target is Chifuyu Orimura. It'd be a waste of my energy to kill you."

"My sister?! Oh no you don't, you're not going anywhere!"

"Alert the others outside, waste these three."

Madoka ordered her troops to execute them. She fired BT energy and flew away, but they quickly surrounded her, giving no room to breathe.

"Move aside," Madoka warned.

"You got a lot of nerve to attack me twice."

"I don't know who you think you are," said Mattheus. "But you try to fuck Ichika, Joel or his friends up, you better say your prayers."

Madoka chuckled as she charged at Houki, Ichika, and Mattheus while her units fire.

* * *

On the rooftop, Squall saw the action unfold through her gold spyglass, smiling at her troops keeping the others busy. Tatenashi folded her arms, confronting the arch nemesis.

"Here you are, gazing down from the highest perspective. What are you up to this time? Stirring up trouble I bet."

"Moscow's Thick Fog, if I recall. That's the name of your IS, isn't it?"

Tatenashi sneered at her old IS name. "Not anymore, it's called Mysterious Lady."

"Oh my, what an attitude you got there, and just what do you know about our plans in the first place?"

"I won't let you do whatever satisfies you."

Squall smirked at Tatenashi, enjoying the moment facing the student council president.

"The favors have turned to me, but you arrived too late!"

2 troops appeared behind Tatenashi, firing their Vz.82 Skorpion. She quickly deflected the 9x18mm Makarov, and went after them. Squall's troops read her mind as they blocked the strike, and simultaneously kicked her head. Tatenashi fell down while they grabbed her arms to let Squall partial deploy Golden Dawn, and captured her.

"As you can see, the plan has already begun," said Squall. "As a token of gratitude, I'll show in front row seat."

Squall's troops opened a link revealing the students in a headlock against her units. She smirked as the claw tightened her grip, slowly crushing Tatenashi. Squall gave her troops the go to kill her. They took their time to reload, and aimed her head. Phantom Task took their gloves off to give everything they got to turn Kyoto into a bloody battlefield.

* * *

A/N: By far the largest chapter I've written. Shouts out to Kerlongsj Evert Orlejov for throwing some ideas that were hella useful. I do not own anything related to Mattheus Adjzof and Joel Pearce. They are OCs I borrowed from Kerlongsj Evert Orlejov. All rights related to his OC belong to Kerlongsj Evert Orlejov.


	17. Snow is the Word for Fun

_Man, I drank too much last night. What day is it, Christmas? Hold up, what's going on? This isn't my room at all. Oh, my fucking head hurts. Now where was I supposed to go…_

 **Time: 11:48AM - Nozawa Onsen**

Liu woke up with a hangover from a late night drinking session. Clutching his head from the headache, Liu stared at the ceiling doing nothing. While Ichika and the others didn't touch alcohol, only he and Chifuyu had a lot. The drink of choice was shots of Hennessy XO Cognac. Chifuyu and Liu drank so much they got drunk in the process, speaking in slur sentences until they threw up in the sink. Chifuyu knocked out first before Liu, and he dragged her into her bedroom. After getting back to his senses, he saw snow falling that doesn't add up at all. This isn't IS Academy, in fact, they were at a giant cabin log. The unlikely things are about to happen…

"What the-?!"

Little do they know, someone put sleeping drugs last night, and smuggled them to Nozawa Onsen, a village located in Shimotakai District, Nagano Prefecture. Ichika and the girls slept in the living room all cuddled up. By the time they woke up, the girls screamed seeing each other so close.

"AAAAHHHH!"

Chifuyu slept like a baby in her bedroom, not hearing anything at all. Her bedroom was locked for safety measures just in case someone tried to barge in without knocking.

"I demand an explanation of this!" Cecilia pouted, covering her breasts. "Who sent us here?"

Ichika shrugged from his spot on the table. "I have a feeling someone pulled the strings on us last night."

Liu didn't want to assume the worst, but he had urge to say so. "Ichika, you don't mean…"

The conversation came to an abrupt end from a voice way too familiar was heard and called out. "GOODDD MORNINGGG!"

Tatenashi on a snowmobile sped at lightning speed, and crashed the front door like a battery ram. Surprisingly, she struck the landing, despite the hard-hitting impact. Ichika and Laura face palmed since they knew how annoying Tatenashi can be. The girls were stunned at the mischievous Student Council President's grand entrance that was rather too much. Tatenashi wore a blue and white full suit with a helmet fully concealed her face. Kanzashi felt embarrassed at her older sister, having the urge to kick her out.

"Ohh why you…!"

Before Kanzashi could act, Tatenashi folded her fan, giggling like a schoolgirl.

"Gather up, kiddies!" Tatenashi proudly announced. "We're going to have fun in the snow. Hurry up, we don't have much time."

As Tatenashi rode away, everyone saw a pair of skis, poles, and snowboards aligned on the wall. A few minutes later, everyone suited up, grabbing the equipment and walked towards the ski lift.

A large overhead screen popped up with instructions of how to ski and snowboard. Nowhere else to go, they read various steps and pictures. Some of the steps were confusing, but tried it out. Some slip and fell, but that didn't stop them to learn the fundamentals of snow sports. Ichika, Houki, Cecilia, and Rin had skis while Laura, Charlotte, Kanzashi, and Liu had snowboards. It even had a mini course to guide them the basics. An hour later of falling backwards, tasting snow face first, and shaking, they got it down.

While they board on the ski lift, Rin looked left and right, and gasped seeing trees scattered. When she looked down and realized how high up they were, she screamed and held onto Ichika pleading him to not drop her. Ichika and Houki smiled seeing Rin act so adorably scared while Liu laughed at her. Rin threw a middle finger at Liu, threatening to throw him overboard. Liu stuck his tongue out since he was in front of her. Kanzashi was star struck at the beautiful view of pure white snow like she was at a fairy wonderland.

By the time they arrived on top of the hill, Tatenashi appeared revving her snowmobile, much to the chagrin of Houki.

"Congratulations that you made it to the top," Tatenashi cheered. "The real fun has begun. Since you have read the instructions that I made, now it's the time to show me your skills!"

Rin and Liu's eyes twitched at Tatenashi's antics, clenching their fists to give her a smack down. Ichika and the girls understood Rin and Liu's body language, and soon enough, their anger aimed at the Blunette.

The German soldier girl clenched her teeth. "Tatenashi, I don't know what you're planning this time, but that's not going to work on us."

Tatenashi laughed that irritated the girls the most. She got away with everything she pulled off. Yet, the Blunette didn't get in trouble. The slope was filled with metal ramps, uneven holes, and slalom flags. There was no way anyone would dare to do something dangerous with the high chance of getting injured. Tatenashi shook her head, and pointed a huge pile of snow behind her.

"Maybe this will motivate you to obey my command. If you don't, I'll turn you into snowman. I suggest you should go down this hill this instant."

They hesitated for a minute, and decide to go with it rather than being crushed by Tatenashi. As they slid down, their muscle memory jotted down notes. Ichika was amazed at his body reacted to the obstacles, even though his mind didn't have time to translate word to word.

"I feel like I'm getting the hang of this!" said Ichika excitedly, shifting his body left and right.

Liu felt the same way like Ichika, grinding on a metal ramp, and landed perfectly. Houki slalomed the flags like a professional skier while Kanzashi jumped off every slope to gain air. What started as being scared now quickly turned into confidence tackling this dangerous course.

However, their short-lived celebration got cut off when Tatenashi suddenly created an avalanche to amp up the excitement. Huge pile of snow was coming towards them, and when they turned their heads, they were now running for their lives.

"Tatenashi you asshole!" Houki shouted. "We're going to get you!"

With every twist, turn, and bumps, they were going so fast they see everything a blur. Charlotte's scream was full of panic, praying she would make it in one piece. The avalanche was getting closer to bury them as they frantically sped faster to get away. This was not the ideal snow resort they signed up for. 9 minutes of going down the treacherous hill, they reached to the finish line, but the avalanche caught up, and covered them like a huge blanket.

They struggled to brush off the heavy snow, dazed from the crash. Kanzashi pulled Laura that had her legs stuck upside down like a broken twig. Catching their breaths, Houki was ready to lay a smack down on Tatenashi for pulling a dangerous stunt that could have killed them.

With an evil grin on her face, Cecilia turned to the angry mob. "You know what I'm thinking?"

Everyone slowly nodded to vent frustrations at the common enemy. As they removed their skis and snowboards, Tatenashi appeared once again doing donuts on her beloved snowmobile.

"My oh my! I can't believe everyone made it down unscathed. Since all of you did a good job, I'm treating you guys onsen!"

For going down a dangerous slope with an avalanche was all her plan. But a free bathhouse was something they wouldn't dare to reject. To repay her back, Houki has a counter proposal for the naughty cat.

"That's a great idea, Student Council President," said Houki, containing her anger. "In fact, let us move these snowmobiles for you so it doesn't get in the way."

Tatenashi stared at the group with curiosity. "Snowmobiles?"

Apparently, a pair of riders accidentally left out their snowmobiles with club weapons. If that was something to bring out justice, it would be the perfect solution. Cecilia and everyone else were in the snowmobiles, revving their engines in translation: Get Tatenashi Sarashiki.

On their left hand were club weapons, aiming at Tatenashi. She didn't expect this to happen as she sweated profusely at the angry mob.

"What's with the weapons? There's no need to be so angry at me now…"

"Don't worry," said Ichika, twirling his collapsible baton. "We're not mad at you."

"This is our saying of thank you, Miss. Sarashiki," Liu replied.

Rin's left fang exposed, pointing Tatenashi with her baseball bat crudely embedded with barbwire. "Stand still to get a taste of your own medicine, cat burglar."

"AFTER HER!" Everyone shouted.

Tatenashi yelped, frantically jump started her snowmobile, and scurried off to get away from the angry mob in snowmobiles. Cecilia led the pack with a killer look on her face, really trying to whack Tatenashi off her ride. This was definitely a token of appreciation by chasing Tatenashi for her dangerous stunt.

* * *

This isn't set in the current timeline. Something I thought off; snowboard, ski, and snowmobiles. I wrote this in 2 days just to get it over with. Until then, Merry Christmas!


	18. Everlasting Burn

**Opening Song: The Game - Really Ft. Soulja Boy, 2 Chainz, Yo Gotti, T.I.**

 **Time: 7:50PM**

Squall tightened the grip on Tatenashi as it slowly crushed her waist like a junkyard claw. Taking glee of killing her slowly was her pleasure to see Tatenashi on the edge of the roof.

"I won't let you do that satisfies your lust," said Tatenashi, trying to break free of Golden Dawn's claw. "Phantom Task will fall in shambles."

Squall said, "By the way, your classmates are on lockdown thanks to my troops that have kept this place safe."

"What?!"

"Do you think you can stop that as well, Student Council President?"

"Definitely," said Tatenashi. "I can pull that off no problem, and those troops of yours will run away like schoolgirls when they see the power of Representative IS pilots."

Squall giggled as the claw of Golden Dawn dug its way through her skin, threatening to puncture it. Tatenashi could barely stand up against the constriction while the troops prepare to execute her firing squad style.

"Goodbye, sweetheart. Dispose her."

Troops burst fired their Vz.82 Skorpion machine pistols, but she dispersed in a shower of spectacles, and water surrounded Squall and her troops. Dumbstruck, they tried to figure out what happened when suddenly…

 **Boom!**

Explosion covered the three, knocking them off balance only to see Tatenashi in Mysterious Lady. The troops quickly got back to open fire, but she used her AIC to dispel the bullets.

"Oh my, Miss. Phantom Task, those troops aren't mere street thugs. Give them a call if they want training from me~I'll be taking my leave then, see you later!"

Squall's troops were mocked by her sarcasm, and attempted to shoot her, but Squall patted their shoulders gently. She knows how to control her soldiers efficiently.

"Easy there, no need to blow your fumes. Get down there to assist your fellow units."

The troops bowed to their master before they skydived off the roof, deploying their parachutes, and gracefully descended towards the battlefield to backup their soldiers. Squall deployed Golden Dawn, a red and gold color IS that has sharp sleek armor with a giant tail claw sticking out of her back. She gave chase to Tatenashi, firing golden energy bullets.

* * *

Laura and Charlotte fight against a squadron of Phantom Task troops that appear in seconds every time they were taken out. They were easy to be knocked out, but what they make up of strength are numbers and persistence.

Laura fired Purizushi that blew away most of her targets, but those troops were coming in fast in different directions. By the time they figured out Laura's fighting style, they went guerrilla style to confuse Laura and Charlotte. The troops didn't give up that easily from the heavy caliber railgun.

"We're getting nowhere!" Charlotte shouted, fighting the female troop that tried to kill them earlier.

They were getting pushed back from anti IS heavy gunfire that sapped their energy shields slowly. Charlotte slice and dice through the troops as they use their ballistic shields to deflect it. Even with their superior IS strength; they were not able to deal against the swarm that won't stop multiplying.

"Those were highly trained killers. It seems they're thorough that gathered enough Intel to kill us."

The female troop found herself outmatched against Charlotte, but that didn't stop her from fighting back with her German P99 that chipped Charlotte's armor bit by bit. Charlotte couldn't break through the troop's ballistic shield, blocking every attack Charlotte dished out. She struck direct hits on her target, sending her flying backwards onto the ground. Before Charlotte could check on her target, she slowly got back up, reloaded a 14 round clip, and fired 4 times.

"How can she survive that blow?" Charlotte questioned the female troop that showed resistance.

She revealed a modified Kevlar bulletproof vest that can withstand against IS armament, but it can only take 3 to 4 hits before it wears out. The troop turned her gun sideways, dumping more rounds while holding a ballistic shield with her left hand. Because the shield limits her field of view, tilting the gun makes the sights more visible under these circumstances. She walked while shooting to get a close up kill shot, but Charlotte found an opening, and shot her in the side, where her vest does not protect her. She fell down to the ground bleeding, trying to shoot Charlotte before she succumbed to her wounds, emptying her gun in the process.

More troops showed up in SWAT formation to whisk away the dead troop. It went from bad to worse because they didn't use their CZ 75. They burst fire their Galil ACE 52 assault rifles to reduce recoil, and effectively hit their targets without wasting too much bullets. Thanks to the cartridges modified to combat against IS, the 7.62x51mm NATO dealt more damage. They were efficient to destroy their targets.

Charlotte and Laura return fire, wiping out the troops that were all over them. Why would anyone be bold enough to go against an IS user? The troops weren't afraid to attack, regardless of IS pilots or not.

"Those men and women are crazy," Laura growled, generating beam sabers onto her hands. "We'll give them what they want. War!"

Laura dashed at lightning speeds, slicing the hostiles while Charlotte cover fire. Those that got struck slowly recovered while the others died instantly from the powerful IS weaponry. They relocate to catch a breath, but everywhere they go, troops awaited. Laura and Charlotte flew up high only to be met by troops firing their suppressed Mk.14 EBR marksman fire with ridiculous range capacity.

"Sacre bleu!" Charlotte said in disbelief at their conventional firearms.

Even though Laura and Charlotte wiped out many troops, they were losing against the overwhelming number. They were halfway there destroying Laura and Charlotte's energy shields.

"Let's head to the monorail station, mon ami," said Charlotte.

Laura and Charlotte knew they couldn't win, so they retreat.

"Cecilia, we're under attack by Phantom Task," Laura said via telecom. "Where are you?"

Laura unfortunately, didn't realize Cecilia was also tied up with the troops that drove them out.

"I'm afraid I can't reach you in time, Phantom Task are all over me with Autumn on the line."

Cecilia hoped her friends would understand the ongoing situation.

* * *

Autumn deployed a railgun on her right hand, blasting pink lasers at Cecilia and Joel. Her troops followed what Autumn did, and fired without hesitation. Cecilia covered herself in bright light to activate Blue Tears, and in seconds, she was in the blue, black and light gray exoskeleton, firing her Blue Pierce laser rifle. Joel took cover, firing his revolver at the troops as they got shot down, but not knocked out. His small stature enabled him to evade gunfire, though not all of them as few bullets scrapped his clothing.

Streams of blue and pink lasers streaked at Cecilia and Autumn that were in a heated firefight, flying in many directions.

"Take that!" Autumn yelled repeatedly more insane from the last encounter at IS Academy.

"Oh great, now a flying spider?" Joel groaned, whipping out his Chasseur pistol, and fired volleys of high caliber rounds at his hostiles. Autumn attempted to go after Joel, but Cecilia let loose of 4 optical drones to keep her at bay. She noticed Joel's slightly tattered shirt worried he won't pull through.

"Are you all right down there?"

Joel grinned, hitting his targets. "I'm doing just fine, those troops won't go down immediately from one shot. You got to hit them at least three times."

As he gave Cecilia a tip, the troops that were caught from the radius of the explosion got back up, returning fire. The unfortunate ones that got shot directly from the Chasseur didn't make it. Their QCW-05 Chinese bullpup submachine gun kept Joel from going head on as the 5.7x21mm cartridge whispered from the suppressor. 50 armor-piercing rounds were enough to keep the troops from reloading constantly.

If they set their sights on Cecilia, it would have turned the tables around. Luckily, they didn't interfere Autumn's battle against Cecilia, or they would have been killed. They know her long enough she doesn't take kind for assistance.

Cecilia's shots were a direct hit as Autumn increased her distance to fire back. Seeing the 8 legged freak falling back made Cecilia wore a smug smile.

"What's wrong? Aren't you going to call your units to help you?" Cecilia taunted while firing her Blue Pierce.

"Shut up!" Autumn yelled.

Joel smirked that he witnessed Cecilia provoked the insane agent while playing a game of chicken. In his eyes, she wasn't that bad for a Brit. While Autumn chased Cecilia to no end, Joel ran to find cover, firing backwards. Few collapsed to the ground while reinforcements arrived just in time. The young Irish punk dumped more rounds at his pursuers.

Autumn released her abdomen, firing a high caliber railgun at Cecilia. She narrowly avoided the shot as Joel aimed his sights, and shot Autumn in the back.

"YOU BRAT!" Autumn shouted as she went after Joel, but he was just a decoy, and Cecilia shot her in the chest. With her out of the way, Cecilia fired her missile pods at the troops, decimating them one by one. Few survived the onslaught, but she didn't give them the chance to recover, and shot them dead.

Joel sighed at the dead bodies, then at Cecilia.

"Look what we have here," said Joel, twirling his Chasseur pistol like a gunslinger cowboy. "These guys and gals are formidable, but not enough to beat us."

Before Cecilia could respond, Autumn charged towards them, screaming incomprehensibly. They ducked, emptying a full clip at Autumn, and she crashed on the stairways. They approached the badly damaged Arachne out of energy shields and weapons power. Autumn tried to stab Joel, but he kicked the knife out of her hand, and pistol-whipped her with a deafening crack. Her face went pale at the Irish punk who grinned in return.

"Don't you move, Autumn," Cecilia said with a leisurely smile on her face that promised pain by any resistance. "You're coming with us."

"Better show some respect for the lady, or I'll crack your taco." Joel replied, holding his Chasseur one handed at her forehead. He would have squeezed the trigger just fine is Autumn protested.

No other choice, Autumn deactivated Arachne, a signal of surrendering. Cecilia deactivated Blue Tears to let her IS self repair as the threat was over. With a smile, Cecilia turned to Joel, holding her left hand up high. The young punk understood the message, and gave her a high five for a job well done. Despite their nationality differences and hostile greeting, the Irish engineer and British pilot combined together to exterminate the once insane agent into a softy.

Joel looked zip tied Autumn's hands, and strapped a parachute on her back. Another military transport helicopter arrived as the parachute deployed up high, and took her in. The intended package was to drop off at the IS Academy for interrogation. While they walked down the path, Joel checked his Chasseur pistol.

"Mind if I ask, what type of gun are you using?" Cecilia wondered.

"This here is Chasseur, a pistol that is capable as the rifle. It doesn't have the range capacity, but the output is the same."

Joel explained the details of his signature pistol, and the sidearm intrigued Cecilia. They get to know each other slowly while they decide what to do next. Cecilia opened her private link to inform Laura and Charlotte.

"We're clear, how about you guys?"

Laura and Charlotte managed to elude their pursuers, huffing out of breath.

"Same here. We're 700 meters away from you."

"On the way. Joel, you'll get to meet my friends soon."

Joel nodded as they search Laura and Charlotte. Suddenly, a Range Rover blocked their path with 3 troops firing out their windows. Cecilia and Joel ducked from the gunfire as 1 heavily armored IS pilot leaped out, wielding a giant battle-axe with dual blades on each side. Just as they thought the coast was clear, it was not over yet.

Fearing for their life, Laura and Charlotte charged at the hostile IS pilot, and knocked her over.

"Charlotte!" Cecilia exclaimed as Joel fired back at the troops. "Good timing you showed up."

Laura stared at Joel with curiosity before engaging the IS pilot.

"Who's that?"

Joel reloaded his Chasseur. "I'm Joel Pearce, but this isn't the right time for show and tell because shit's about to explode!"

Troops cut them off as the axe wielding IS pilot unleashed a fury of slashes, releasing saber beams. The swings were very strong that sliced the ground in half. Charlotte and Laura cover fire as Joel fired at the troops. The IS pilot somehow managed to hold them off only with her giant axe. Her thick armor protected against the combined firepower, barely breaking a sweat. Not wanting to be in the same situation again, Laura used her AIC to stop the projectiles, and Charlotte destroyed the Range Rover. The SUV catapulted and exploded into a fireball, sending the troops running to find cover.

"How long is it going to take Blue Tears to be ready?" Joel said. "I'm running out of ideas and ammunition."

Laura flushed out the oncoming troops while Charlotte fired at the IS pilot that deflected all her projectiles. The battle has turned the favors for Phantom Task once again as reinforcements arrived. The IS pilot swung her axe continuously, nearly hitting Charlotte.

Joel looked left and right at the troops that got them cornered. He groaned at their persistence that won't give up at all.

"Goddamn it, there's too many!" Laura complained when she saw a convoy of cars closing in soon. "We're almost out of weapons too."

Joel clenched his teeth that the fight was getting nowhere to victory. But with the girls in danger, a tactical retreat was the only option left to save their butts. Cecilia activated Blue Tears, only to find herself nearly out of weapons power. They flew up high to elude the troops, again. By the time the IS pilot and her troops came out of hiding, they were long gone, and secured the area.

* * *

Maya and Kanzashi were stuck holding their front line. Maya took sniping position as Kanzashi assist her with heavy gunfire. The troops fired relentlessly to break the impeccable defense. A private link opened for Kanzashi.

"Kanzashi!" said Tatenashi, fighting Squall.

"Yeah, big sis?"

"Phantom Task troops have secured half of the area. They'll kill anyone without hesitation. Please make sure Chifuyu and the classmates are in one piece."

Another screen revealed hostiles appeared fully armed to kill. Maya and Kanzashi worked twice as hard to exterminate the pesky troops that won't yield.

"I'll hold them off, get your classmates and Chifuyu out of here!" Maya commanded.

Kanzashi flew away to search for the classmates and Chifuyu while Maya deal with the battalion. With her precised aim, Maya's shots found its mark without missing a beat. The troops advanced forward as she flew up high, firing more rounds. Despite the huge amount of troops, Maya kept her cool to prevent them from passing through.

Tatenashi and Squall fought against each other. They were evenly matched, blocking every move with perfect offense and defense. However, Squall got the drop on Tatenashi, and shot her down to the lake.

"You're so naïve," Squall taunted. "It was fun playing games with you, but I got better things to do. See you later, toots."

Squall's troops cornered the lake where Tatenashi fell. Guns were drawn in all directions to prevent Tatenashi from escaping. Firing underwater would be useless because supersonic bullets disintegrate in less than 3 feet of water.

* * *

On the raging battlefield, Rin and Liu were in the frying pan with Kaori as the fuel of fire. Liu fired his 590A1 to distract Kaori, but that only made her increase the will to kill them. Since Nightmare is still undergoing self-repair, he was stuck to his shotgun while Kaori used her wings and Vortex to spray streams of fire. Liu nearly got torched in the process, but he can't let Rin down.

"Don't burn yourself, Liu!" Rin yelled, firing her Ryuhou. "Please don't disappoint me whatever you got in your sleeves."

Liu fired 12 gauge buckshot shells that barely put a dent on Kaori. She threw ball of flames at Liu as he weaved in and out of the scorching projectiles. He did his best to keep Rin on her target, but with him playing bait, he's in a bigger risk of getting killed.

Rin exchanged blows with the Phantom Task agent and seemed overwhelmed by the Japanese's sheer force and muscle at first, but began to make a comeback using her more diverse techniques and great speed.

"You're mine!"

Rin shouted, swinging her Souten Gagetsu viciously at Kaori. Her Vortex chattered metal against metal, emitting sparks and fire. She fired Ryuhou as Kaori threw her Vortex like a boomerang. Rin deflected the humongous flaming blades, and launched a few strikes on her. With Kaori's back exposed, Liu got in close, and fired his remaining shells. Out of ammo, Kaori took the chance to aim her Vortex at Liu.

"Too slow!" Kaori said with a childish smile. "Do me a favor, and die right now."

Kaori spun her Vortex as stream of fire set Liu ablaze instantly. Rin screamed furiously firing Ryuhou to no end.

"MOTHERFUCKER!"

Kaori grinned at Rin losing her temper, blocking her attacks easily without breaking a sweat. She was about to turn Rin into a roast duck, but didn't pay attention to "Liu" that was burned alive. Liu dodged so fast he left a doppelganger, leaving Kaori completely wide open. Liu in Nightmare got behind Kaori with a determined look on his face.

"Yeah, for you that is!"

Liu drew Heavenly Emperor as he chopped off her wings, and flopped to the ground. A few seconds of silence, Kaori's mouth dropped before she dropped the bomb.

"My wings! Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god! MY WINGS!" Kaori shouted in pain and anger. Once she had full of pride was replaced into being panicked.

"Do you have any idea who you're dealing with? I'm Kaori Saito, you chinks!"

Liu frowned at the raging agent. "That's why I chopped them off, dumbfuck."

Kaori reverted her arrogant smile, trying to maintain her cool persona. "Sike! Phoenix can regenerate! And every time I grow stronger! The fire I have becomes a part of me!"

Kaori gloated on her special ability as she waited for her wings to come back as proof. Liu stabbed the wings like shish kebabs, which greatly shocked Kaori. To add further insult, Rin recorded the whole thing for a memorable trip not to forget.

"AAAAHHHH!" Kaori screamed that her wings didn't come back.

"Whoops, whoops again." Liu said in his sarcastic tone.

"WWWAAAHHH!"

Rin couldn't stop smiling at Kaori loosing her marbles like a child throwing a tantrum. Even though Liu was a jerk for leaving Rin behind, nothing beats to witness an agent revealing her true colors.

"Hahaha! Now we're talking," Rin complimented at his profound attitude, and imitated Ludacris's voice from a particular lyric. "Kaori, your new name is fire cuz we stomped you out!"

Liu grinned at Rin roasted Kaori, but Kaori was not amused at all. Her eyes glowed golden in demented fury as sparks of fire slowly ignited, threatening to grow more.

"This isn't happening, not to me! Now you got me mad, SUPER MAD! I hate you…I hate you…! I HATE YOU! RRRAAAHHH!"

Kaori screeched like a banshee as she burst into flames all over her body. New pair of wings sprouted on her back with fire, savagely attacking Rin and Liu. Her rage intensified the flames as it grew dangerously, burning the ground in the process. She disregarded defense as Kaori delivered all out offense, but her attacks were too easy to block. Anger clouded her judgment and senses that reduced her fighting capabilities.

All she was doing was throwing basic strikes. Rin and Liu landed successful blows at Kaori, enraging her even more. As they were about to finish her off, Shen reappeared to scoop her away. The ungrateful Kaori didn't give thanks to the agent that saved her life, and shoved her away.

"Let me out of here! What's your problem, Shen? I didn't ask for your help, I haven't been beaten yet, you gook!"

Shen kept her cool to let Three Dragons explain the situation on her private link.

"Kaori, cool off. It was your fault that you disobeyed orders from Squall. She stated clearly you were not to engage in combat. What would you have accomplished in that state of condition? I hope you have a good explanation to Squall for your insubordination."

Kaori blew more flames inches away from burning Shen until she quickly calmed down.

"A good explanation to Squall…? Very well then, but you try to save me again, Shen, I'll turn you into ashes, you hear me?!"

Shen shook her head at the impulsive agent as they retreat. Rin and Liu dispersed the dying flames.

"It's not over yet," said Rin. "Let's find the others before those troops get them."

* * *

Down to Houki, Ichika, and Mattheus against Madoka and her fleet of troops, they were struggling to dodge heavy gunfire from the machine guns. Their aims were nearly precise that allowed Madoka to strike direct hits every time. Mattheus and Houki fired at the ground troops, but the majority avoided the onslaught. With the increasing number of troops, they decided not to waste their energy on Madoka's pawns.

"Madoka, military reinforcements are sent in by Chifuyu."

She didn't seem to mind as she calmly called her troops. She knew they wouldn't dare to defy her orders at all.

"Butcher Two, what's the status?"

"I have Zulu 3-6 standing by. Battle Hawk's ready to go, Madoka."

"Copy that. Zulu 3-6, we're coming in hot, shoot down the choppers."

"Yes, Madoka – opening the doors – deploying heavy machine guns and commando IS pilots. Watch the crossfire."

6 Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion arrived with the ramp detached as military IS units came down to kill Madoka. Zulu 3-6, known as the S-70 Battle Hawk swooped in with the cabin doors open. 3 heavily armed IS pilots jumped out to pursue the military units. The pilots didn't see it coming, and the door gunners fired a Browning M2 machine gun attached with a HAMR scope. The huge .50 BMG skewered the pilots into Swiss cheese, and injured a few IS pilots before they got the chance to jump out. She drew her energy sword, and sliced the IS pilot into pieces. Madoka decimated the military IS units with ease with her Star Breaker.

Houki, Ichika, and Mattheus were speechless at Madoka's raw strength and her troops that were just as vicious as her. The military IS pilots were no match against Madoka and her units as the transport helicopters went up in smoke and fire, spinning an uncontrollable 360 degrees before it violently crashed. They were going against a highly skilled IS pilot with no qualms of killing anyone. Zulu 3-6 shoot Houki and Ichika as they evaded the heavy projectiles. She tried to slice the chopper down into sizes, but the hostile IS pilots defended the helicopter.

"Don't bother to fight Houki and Ichika," Madoka ordered. "They're much more skilled than you. Find Chifuyu, she must not leave this facility. I want her alive, not dead."

Zulu 3-6 flew away to let her and the troops resume the battle without further interruptions. The hostile IS pilots withdrew from battle to let Madoka and her ground troops finish it off.

"Madoka!" Ichika shouted at her evil twin sister. "This ends here now!"

"Hmph, I like to see you try."

They traded blow after blow, flying in different directions to score a hit. Mattheus assisted Ichika to get the drop on Madoka. Alas, Suddenly, Madoka stopped attacking with a devious smile on her face.

"Sayanora."

Madoka charged BT energy at Ichika, but at the last second, she diverted her target on Houki, and burst stream of energy shot her rib cage. Loss of words, Ichika and Mattheus stared in horror at Houki coughing blood, and fell dangerously down to the forest.

"HOUKIIIII!" Ichika screamed, diving down to catch Houki as they crash-landed on the ground. Luckily, the soft dirt absorbed the hard-hitting impact.

Madoka smirked at her twin brother as she fired BT energy at Mattheus. Full of righteous anger, Mattheus fired his Chasseur as the two were in a heated firefight. This was enough for Mattheus to kill Madoka.

"You twisted fuck!" Mattheus shouted.

Ichika sobbed at the fallen Houki. He couldn't believe his childhood friend would have to be in this situation. She was more than just a Kendo champion; Houki was her crush that desired to be with him. Tears dripped onto her stomach as Ichika's mind went into overload.

"Come on, Houki, you can't do this to me," Ichika cried, grabbing her shoulders. "Houki…Houki…please wake up…Houki!"

Ichika cried nonstop when Houki wouldn't respond to his pleads. What it all seems hope was perished, golden aura glowed between them. Mattheus fired volleys of Chasseur as Madoka countered them with her shield bit that moved by itself. He tried his best to break her defense, but her skills were top pared, and Madoka sighed.

"I'm through playing this boring game, my troops can take care of you guys easily."

As Madoka flew away, Mattheus tried to chase after her, only to be met by a barrage of machine gun fire, forcing him to fall back. A single troop readied her Carl Gustaf M3 84mm recoilless rifle and fired. Traveling at lightning speed, the anti-armor artillery shell headed straight towards Mattheus. He dodged the projectile as it exploded onto a mountain with huge cloud of smoke. If it struck an IS user, its energy shield would have been cut in half or even more. Madoka's troops hid in many places, taking their aim at the trio should they dare to attack.

"Ichika!" Mattheus shouted, finding his longtime friend. "We can't stick around too long."

Ichika and Houki appeared, glowing just like the sun. "You're right, Phantom Task troops are not what we're suppose to focus on. Right now, Madoka is on the loose. Let's catch her."

The trio chase after Madoka, and troops responded with many gunfire.

* * *

Kanzashi arrived just in time to kill a second wave of troops that tried to kill her classmates and Chifuyu. Just as they were about to assess the damage, Zulu 3-6 appeared, firing too close at the classmates by an inch. While Kiyoka tend Chifuyu's injuries, a stray bullet from the chopper shot Kiyoka in the right leg. Now it's double the trouble with two people in great danger.

"AAAGGGHHH!" Kiyoka screamed in pain, clutching the bullet wound as blood oozed.

Kanzashi fiercely released multi lock-on missiles at the chopper. In response, Zulu 3-6 fired 70mm rockets, exploding the opposing projectiles. The charcoal gray helicopter loomed over at the frightened classmates and Chifuyu couldn't do a thing, but growl. She fired a barrage of missiles at Zulu 3-6 as it returned fire before weaving in and out to get a better angle at Kanzashi. It fired heavy gunfire again, but Kanzashi has a surprise on her sleeves.

"Fire!"

Kanzashi let out a war cry to buzz off the helicopter. Before Zulu 3-6 could use its remaining hardpoint, she successfully shot down the rotor as the utility helicopter spun out of control, and crashed onto the monorail, exploding into pieces.

"Kiyoka is down!" Chifuyu yelled, clutching her injuries. "Get the paramedics right now!"

She and her classmates frantically treat Kiyoka's bullet wound, using all the knowledge to save a life. The process was messy and unforgiving with blood all over their hands because Kiyoka cried in pain, trying to withstand the pain. Even though they had medical equipment, it didn't guarantee full protection against bullets. Kanzashi quickly applied medicines and bandages, trying her best to quell Kiyoka's crying. In less than 2 minutes, paramedics arrived to take Kiyoka to a nearby hospital.

A disoriented pilot crawled away from the destroyed Battle Hawk, and eventually bleeds to death. The second pilot was found on a railroad as he pulled out his CZ 75, and tried to shoot at the classmates, but he ran out of bullets, and died. The door gunners were killed instantly when the Battle Hawk crashed. Maya took care of the troops as she flew to the monorail station. Kanzashi smiled that the homeroom assistant teacher made it in one piece, but they can't celebrate yet. Laura, Charlotte, Joel and Cecilia arrived a few seconds later, followed by Rin and Liu. Last but not least, Houki, Ichika, and Mattheus touchdown.

Ichika wiped the sweat off of his forehead. "Whew, looks like we made it from those troops."

"That was a little bit too close," said Laura sheepishly. "There's still one rotten apple left."

Everyone turned their attention at Madoka looming over the monorail station. She fired BT energy at Chifuyu, and Laura negated with her AIC. Even though their weapons powers were nearly out of juice, they charged forward with their melee weapons. Squall appeared from behind, covering her and Madoka in a giant ball of golden wave. In a flash, Squall released all the energy, pushing everyone back to the ground. When the smoke clears, everyone was now badly damaged, unable to operate except for Ichika.

Somehow, Ichika evaded the giant wave as he furiously attacked Madoka with all of his strength. At first, the Byakushiki and Black Knight seem equally matched, but Madoka soon found herself unable to penetrate Ichika's impeccable defense and became overwhelmed by his relentless and direct blows. Squall fired golden energy balls at Ichika as he fired his particle cannon back.

Just as Squall was about to stab Ichika with her giant claw, a giant blue projectile struck her face. Who would shoot the leader that far away?

"Sorry, Squall," said Tatenashi, revealing a giant railgun as her triumph weapon. "You're shit out of luck. Go, Ichika!"

She fired multiple rounds at Squall to keep her busy as Ichika pulled back his left fist and punched her chest, sending Madoka hurling down. The final blow destroyed Black Knight down to its knees as her locket flew out of her hands.

Madoka caught it with her right hand, and Squall scooped her up just in time. They were damaged from the intense firefight, and lost Autumn. It was a small price to pay for instigating a full-scale war. Their units were itching to kill Ichika and his friends until Squall halted them because most of them were killed in action.

Squall can't afford to lose another set.

"Withdraw immediately, we've collected enough combat data. Can't go on further in this condition."

"Understood, Squall," said Madoka, out of power to fight.

Madoka heard a small wailing of sirens a few miles down as she turned her attention at her surviving troops. "The police are on our tail, put as much dirt between you and the cops. And don't contact us until you're absolutely sure you're clear. Now disperse!"

Madoka and Squall retreat while the troops scattered like roaches to get away from law enforcement. Everyone deactivated their IS units to catch a breath while Maya and the students clapped. Chifuyu had bandages wrapped around her upper body.

"What happened to Phantom Task?" Houki questioned.

Ichika got back on his feet to brush off dirt. "I think they're gone, for now."

Liu walked towards Chifuyu to explain the situation until a man and woman dressed as government officials cut him off.

"Liu King-Sang, we would like to have a few words with you," said the woman. "Bring Rin along as well."

Rin and Liu were dumbstruck at the strangers.

"Come again?" Rin questioned.

The man whispered in her ear. "We know you took care of Liu when he didn't show up. How is he doing as of now?"

Rin realized the man and woman were Righteousness Union associates, and they're here to check up on Liu. Chifuyu took notice of the strangers as she stopped them.

"Those are my students, you can't take them away without my permission."

"Don't worry, Miss. Orimura, it won't take too long, trust me. If I were you, rest up until you can walk."

Chifuyu tried to stop them, but her injuries were still not fully healed, forcing her to rest. The woman assured Chifuyu they'll return Rin and Liu shortly. Maya sent the students and Chifuyu back to the hotel. Ichika and the gang were dead tired from the war as they went to their respective bathhouses. The Righteousness Union members took Rin and Liu away to an undisclosed location. The good news was Kiyoka recovered from the gunshot wound. She checked out of the hospital right after Phantom Task retreat.

On top of Kinkaku-ji, Tabane and Chloe Chronicle watched the events unfolded.

"Well, now we know Chi-chan received my gift, but will she ever enjoyed it like I did?"

"Most certainly, a lot more than the unmanned unit." Chloe said in a calm tone.

Tabane laughed. "Oh yeah! This is just the appetizer, the entree is where the fun part has yet to come."

Ichika, Mattheus, and Joel relaxed in the bathhouse as steam arose from the hot water. If they had the strength to talk, they would recap the battle. But the battle was proven very tiring, they just want to sit back and let the water do the rest. This was the break they need from the fight against Phantom Task, especially the new enemies they faced. The troops were like driver ants, yet some don't have IS units to defend themselves. Only a few handful had the access to use them. The girls didn't have the energy to play around as hot water soothed their bodies.


	19. Intermission: Complete the Puzzle

_We haven't seen you for a while, Liu. I know you have history with Three Dragons, but this civil war can't go on like this. Our men and women are killing each other over for this. You must stop this once and for all. It's for the greater good for Righteousness Union._

Liu was in a private sentō away from Ichika and the gang because he doesn't want his tattoos revealed. For safety measures, he patched his tattoos to conceal them. Liu went inside the sauna to refresh his body as dry heat from the coals blasted. The sauna was dark, and hell is hot from the scorching heat. Unbeknownst to him, he was not alone in the sentō. Liu had a rough day dealing with Kaori, and most of all, Rin. He'll have to settle with Chifuyu and IS Acadmey later. Liu folded his hands as he dropped his head low. Questions clouded his mind, dark thoughts of why he broke Rin's promise for the sake of settling his scores that nearly killed him again.

A wooden door slowly creaked open as Liu turned, and saw a strand of brown hair sticking out. The figure slowly revealed itself to be Rin, naked except with a towel around herself. The worst has happen for Liu because he was told no one can enter besides him. Apparently, they lied because it turns out the guards told the same thing to Rin. Lost of words, they stared at each other until-

"AAAHHH!?" Rin yelped.

"What the-?! I thought those guards said I have this bathhouse for myself," said Liu, pointing at Rin.

"I can't believe this has to happen when I want my own time," Rin lamented, covering her body. "What the fuck are you looking at? **Sei ceot heoi!** " (Get the hell out of my sight!)

Rin trembled as she tried to walk away, but something prevented her from leaving as if an unknown force glued her feet. He tightened his towel, shaking his head in disgust that his privacy was shattered. Rin, having the urge to smack Liu again partial deployed Shenlong. In response, Liu partial deployed Nightmare. Their fists pointed against each other for a standoff. Seconds flew by, and they silently withdrew their IS to sit down.

"…"

Silence filled the sauna while the coals continued to emit dry heat. Their tempers finally simmered down to relax. It will take a while to repair their problems.

"Rin…"

"Yeah?"

"About the personal vendettas I had…"

Liu tried to open his mouth, but words won't come out as he lacked the strength to speak up.

Rin took notice and sat closer to ease Liu, nudging his right arm. Liu tensed up from the contact of her skin.

"Vendettas have motivated me to go great lengths to send a message against those who were after me."

Rin slightly frowned and said. "The more you go after your foes, the more you're going to create yourself a big target to everyone. I guess I can try to help you out."

"Like how so? I should settle down at least once to get this bullshit off of me…"

Rin noticed Liu's sadness from him and asked. "Liu, are you all right? You really don't sound like yourself."

"Not at all, Rin. I…I want to say…I-I'm…sorry..."

Rin blinked in confusion of Liu's sudden apology. "Come again?"

"I…ditched IS Academy for my selfish purposes to settle scores that nearly got me killed…the worst thing I've done was I broke your promise. I'm so sorry for pulling off a selfish move just to ease my thoughts, knowing damn well that it was hella dangerous. Most of all, I'm so, so sorry that I made you feel broken, and I felt like a piece of shit for doing that."

Rin gave a face of understanding, though she has something to say as well.

"Liu, considering how much of a hothead you are, you irritated me a few times. I accept your apology, but I have to apologize as well."

" **Dim gai?"** (Why?) Liu exclaimed. **"Dou hai ngo m ngaam!"** (This is my entire fault!)

Rin patted Liu on the right shoulder with a weak smile **. "Haan di laa,** (Save your breath) I should have not punched you again when I saw you. I acted too rash without thinking, and realized I saved your life. In the end, I'm responsible if anything happened to you."

"What you talking about?" Liu questioned. "Can't you see what I did-"

 **"Hei saan,"** (Stand up) Rin interrupted. "There's more I need to tell you..."

Liu, confused as hell stood up as Rin laid her hands on his shoulders, and impulsively ripped his patches in one swift motion. That was part of her apology while at the same time, getting her payback.

"OOOWWW!" Liu yelled in pain. **"Haam gaa chaan!** (Motherfucker!) **Nei zou gan mat je?"** (What are you doing?)

Rin turned Liu around, exposing his bare back and tore his big patch. Liu yelped like a large band-aid ripped his skin apart.

"That's for abandoning me, **lan yeung** ," (dickface) Rin simply answered with a cross vein on her forehead. "Consider this my apology that I lashed out on you. Besides, those patches make you look ugly as shit."

Liu gave Rin a dirty look for being insulted before he blew a mocking kiss. This has insulted Rin so much to push her buttons. He smirked at Rin's irritated expression similar to a mad cat.

" **Bin go giu nei zou gaa, haa?"** (Who told you to do this, really?) Rin hissed. **"M hou je hei ngo baa fo."** (Don't aggravate me.)

" **Deoi m zyu, nei cung hai wong faa gwai jyu."** (Sorry, you're still an untouched virgin girl.)

" **Sek sii, puk gaai!** **Nei cin kei m hou gong ngo wong faa gwai jyu, ngo jim got nei ge tau."** (Eat shit, bastard! Don't you ever call me an untouched virgin girl, I'll castrate your head.)

In their native tongue, they were at it. Good thing Righteousness Union associates guarded the private bathhouse, or else the others would have found out the commotion. Let alone, Ichika and the whole gang would not have understood what they were saying.

" **Ceoi jat zek mou gan sak nei go cau fah hai."** (Take off a towel and stick this in your smelly disintegrated cunt.)

" **Diu lei tsuen gaa! Seung sei ah?!"** (Fuck your entire family! You want to die?!)

Rin threw a highly offensive profanity at his family, which was Righteousness Union. Full of rage, she partial deployed Shenlong again, having the urge to really shove Liu's face in a pile of coal for his remark. In return, Liu partial deployed Nightmare with intent to drown Rin in a hot bath.

They fired some cruel insults, but it was to vent out their frustrations. They withdrew their personal IS as they calm down again to not aggravate each other. Out of steam, Rin gently stroke Liu's tattoos from his biceps to pectorals. Liu turned his back, as Rin couldn't stop admiring the Guan Yu back piece, and rubbed it all over the dark colorful ink. Liu's body was well built as his skin felt like smooth layered rocks.

 **"Rin, nei jau mou zeoi gan gim caat go san tai?"** (Have you recently checked your body?) Liu asked.

 **"Mou, dim gai?"** (No, why?) **  
**

 **"Nei dik deoi bo zoeng daai siu siu."** (Your titties grew a little bit.)

 **"Mat je aaa?"** (What did you say?)

Rin got mad every time someone has to mention her chest size. She was close to tear the sauna from the inside out for that sensitive comment.

 **"Hai zan ge, ngo ho ji san jyun!"** (It's true, I swear!) Liu attempted to calm Rin down.

Rin inspected her chest size; not realizing it grew quite a bit. She slightly blushed at her body, and Liu's honest comment as she scratched her head.

"Oh! Umm…thanks, I guess…"

Liu turned around to let Rin take detail of his colorful, yet painful tattoos on his upper body. He looked at the ceiling, wondering why Rin went with him to cool off. Suddenly, hidden speakers played slow rap music.

 **"Waa, zun hai?** (Wow, really?) They really have to do this," Liu groaned, knowing damn well the name and artist of the song.

Rin tilted her head and said. "Why is there music playing at a bathhouse?"

 _Party on a Sunday (That was fun!)  
_ _Do it all again on a Monday (One more time!)  
_ _Spent a check on a weekend (Oh my god!)  
_ _I might do it all again (That's boss shit)_

"Goddamn it, what are those pricks up to for pulling this stunt?"

Rin listened to the beat made for party theme, followed by a somewhat, soothing tune. While Rin somewhat enjoyed the song, minus the profanity lyrics, she inadvertently thought of getting closer with Liu, and blushed.

 _What is this feeling? Why am I catching interests of him that's diverting my attention from Ichika? For crying out loud, Liu is a loose cannon_ , _I like Ichika more!_

Indeed those were the questions Rin faced. She saw his tattoos numerous times, but seeing the fine details made it mesmerizing. Her heart beat so fast it went erratic. At the same time, Liu started to catch feelings for Rin, hiding his small blush. No way he would ever go out with Rin the Representative Candidate of China that has a short fuse.

"How do you like the sauna?" Liu asked, trying to continue the conversation even if it sounded awkward.

"Um…feels relaxing to wash away your problems."

Another round of irritating silence happened again as they sit next to each other, staring at the coals.

Rin finally broke the minute of quietness. **"Maan daai si dou jau dak gaai kyut."** (No matter how formidable this problem seems it can be solved.)

"I guess so, but Three Dragons and Kaori are still alive that are bound to come back. I question why personal vendettas motivate me?"

Liu dropped his head low at his actions that caused many consequences. Perhaps Liu should really check in to understand life better.

Rin patted his head for comfort. Seeing his face full of doubt, she leaned towards his right shoulder.

"You have the ability to turn things around. It doesn't have to resolve in violence to end your issues because there's many ways to stop them."

Liu looked up at her. "What other options are left? I'm already dead when my hatred for Three Dragons sparked the civil war."

Drifting in sadness again, Rin think fast to brighten his mood.

 **"Ngo hou gam gong!** (Don't say that!)"

Rin quipped in, facing in front of Liu that caught off his attention. She grasped her hands on his broad shoulders as her heart beat, begging to release her true feelings. Her towel grasped to cling on her body, though it slowly revealed part of her body.

"I did my best to look out after you, despite the fact you don't always listen. In the end, I saved your life, and there's no way I don't want to see you in near death ever again."

Rin was true to her words ever since she encountered Liu severely injured. Not wanting to see a rerun of his accident, she's willing to protect him at all cost. Liu, lost of words attempted to respond, but his thoughts ran out of control seeing Rin almost nude in front of his face. She sat on his lap as her green eyes gazed deep into his soul resembling emeralds.

"Lingyin Huang…I-I-"

Rin grasped Liu's cheeks lightly while his hands were up, trying to comprehend the situation. She wrapped her left leg around his back, and hugged him, nuzzling his nose. He instinctively hugged her back gently, putting his chin on top of her head. They stared at each other until Rin gave a long smooch to his lips. The unexpected move was not on the list that left Liu flabbergasted. He was now out of the world receiving a kiss from his lifesaver. It played a different rap song as it threw another set of lyrics that got her off track momentarily.

 _You're an itch I can't reach, a wound that won't heal  
The smell of skin that's burning  
_ _I didn't know you'd be insane  
_ _But it's true, and just say all I am to you is a_

Rin recognized the song that she heard on the Internet once. She cried upon hearing the angelic voice as tears foamed in her eyelids. Liu brushed off the tears that turned her frown upside down, and she laid her hands on his head, rubbing the gelled black hair. Rin wasn't done yet as she gave Liu a passionate kiss. No other way to respond, Liu felt the trance, and wrapped her neck to respond back. Liu begin to calm down piece by piece. The Chinese duo continued to kiss, completely void of words to confess their feelings in their thoughts. Lip locked with Rin's sweet lips, Liu snaked his arms around her head. Rin's towel dropped as she leaned in closer, causing both of their bodies to press closely.

For the first ride of their experience, they engage something so soothing, yet exhilarating at the same time. To them, they were in their own world peace with warmth to comfort them. Rin didn't care her breasts pressed upon his chest as she kissed him nonstop. She was on the brink of crying again as Liu untied the yellow ribbons to release her long brunette hair. Rin wiped her own tears, gently stroking his ears. In his eyes, Rin looked better without her twintails. The two cuddle on the hard wooden tiles with Rin on top of him. Their tongues softly wrestled with each other. The Chinese girl used her hands to caress his cheeks while he stroke her soft brown hair, back, legs, and her butt.

"!"

In response of her butt caressed by his hands, Rin kissed his jaw, neck, and nose, rubbing his hard rock abs and pectorals. Liu smelled the sweet scent, nuzzling her hair while he purred and kissed her forehead. Sweat poured all over their body, rubbing against the hot, soft skin. Rin cuddled up to the Chinese boy as he embraced her close, kissing her deeply. Rin purred like a cat, nibbling his right ear before she grabbed Liu back to upright position, kissed his nose, and smiled sincerely.

 **"Hou dak ji le?"** (Very cute, isn't it?) Rin questioned with sweat dropped from her face like a leaking faucet.

 **"Lai zan gaa? Gang hai,"** (Are you serious? Of course.)

Rin passionately hugged him, stroking his vintage haircut. She turned her back to Liu to clean her body, slightly blushing that her heartbeat might be revealed. He worked from top to bottom, starting with her long hair, then her slender body. Liu's hands touched her breasts through the towel, and Rin bit her lips, trying not to yelp.

"!"

"..."

Feeling slightly embarrassed to let Liu clean her up fully nude, Rin should have cleaned herself up. She looked at Liu in the eyes, adjusting her towel to cover her body.

"To be honest, that wasn't necessary to cover your tattoos with patches," said Rin, adjusting her hair. "Looks more refined that way."

Liu grasped her long brunette hair. "I like it when it's not twintails because you look better that way right now."

Rin frowned since she likes her twintails hairstyle.

"You know what day it is today?" said Rin, tugging Liu.

"Hmm?"

 **"Saang jat faai lok,** Liu King-Sang, (Happy birthday)" Rin said softly. "Turned 17 today."

"Ha! You got me there. I nearly forgot my own birthday," Liu replied, rubbing her head. **"Do ze saai, Wong Ling Jam."** (Thank you, Phoenix Ringtone.)

Liu smiled happily as Rin laid her head on his right shoulder, grasping his right hand.

It was victory for IS Academy for now. Phantom Task lost this round, but it doesn't mean they'll give up that easily. Sooner or later, they will strike again.

* * *

If you recognize the lyrics, guess the song name and artists.


	20. When I Wake Up

**Song: 21 Savage & Metro Boomin - No Heart**

 **Time: 9:50PM – Kyoto Hotel**

The fight, or better yet, the Battle of Kyoto nearly turned the vacation paradise into a barred wasteland. Phantom Task didn't hold back to assault IS Academy students and staff using any methods to accomplish the objective. Even if it cost civilians getting hurt in the process, that didn't matter to them. In the end, Phantom Task lost and retreat into the shadows. They lost Autumn that's now P.O.W. to IS Academy.

Ichika, Mattheus, Joel, and the girls went to their respective rooms to sleep. They were too tired to introduce themselves. As it stands now, they'll do so tomorrow morning. Rin and Liu reconciled in the private sauna thanks to Righteousness Union that took them far away from Chifuyu and the classmates. A long make out in a hot sauna was enough for them to fix their issues.

Liu's higher associates escorted them back to Chifuyu as promised. Rin wasn't sure how Chifuyu would debrief Liu, so she tagged along, despite his protest that he didn't want her to follow. When they enter Chifuyu's room, she was already there.

Rin and Liu gulped as she stared at them briefly. With a big cross pop-vein on her head, Chifuyu rolled up her left sleeve, and gave Liu a roundhouse kick to the jaw. Rin instinctively intervened, only to be punched in the stomach by Chifuyu. This was Liu's punishment for ditching IS Academy for selfish purposes. A clipboard slap wasn't enough to knock Liu into his senses, so Chifuyu opted for a nasty kick.

"You deserve that for leaving your classmates behind," said Chifuyu, quelling her anger. "We got a lot of work to do."

Liu obeyed immediately to not get pummeled again for disobeying Chifuyu because she's not in the mood for playing. Rin could only watch the two stare face to face.

"So, what do you want to talk about, Miss. Orimura?" Liu questioned the Brunhilde. "Is it about the current situation in Kyoto and Phantom Task, or do you want to talk about love?"

"As much as I hate seeing you acting reckless, I noticed you're not tired from fighting Phantom Task," Chifuyu replied, ignoring his remark. "You'll thank me later when we get down to business, and no, I don't need you finding a boyfriend for me."

Liu raised an eyebrow at the instructor that's partially bandaged on her left shoulder and bicep. "That's okay, I don't need to because me and Rin already confessed our true feelings."

Rin played with her fingers as Chifuyu's right eye slightly twitched at his bold remark. What Liu doesn't know was Chifuyu cooked something up to really make him tap out. They take a seat, and the grilling has begun.

"Why did you go on your own to take down Three Dragons? I have told you specifically not to let your vendettas get the best of you. From the ill fated heist, you also lost your buddies in the process."

Liu frowned at Chifuyu that she had to bring it up. "Three Dragons will do whatever he pleases if no one stopped him. You didn't do shit when I was here, but no, you sat behind the desk like an office worker."

Chifuyu glared at his remark as Rin trembled she'll smack Liu again. Instead, Chifuyu took 2 bottles of Köstritzer German black beer, and threw a bottle at him. It was rather unusual to give someone a drink even after he or she mouthed off the Brunhilde. Mattheus and Joel put Liu under control, but Chifuyu knew it wouldn't last for a long time, so it was up to her to put him back on track.

"Liu, you're an idiot for doing something that can get you in the media. I could have inform my men to take you away for the list of crimes you committed, but I'm giving you slack to not make Rin run amok."

Rin slightly nodded while they sip on the black beer. Chifuyu continued to ask questions.

"When you're on a field trip with your family, what did you see?"

"Me and my crew witnessed a money laundering poised as a car dealership, which Three Dragons owns one of his operations," Liu described the lot. "It houses laundered money, and as a bonus, they also have stolen weapons cache."

Liu wasn't done just yet as he explained his misguided field trip.

"List of people wanted dead for overdue debts, disputes, or bounty. There's high-scale drug and IS smuggling ring, and Three Dragons even kidnapped a wealthy businessman for a ransom, which he succeeded. Three Dragons has planned to utilize stolen IS for the purpose of destruction."

Chifuyu shook her head in disgust hearing Three Dragons' illegal operations.

"Criminals like you always look for a fight. Ready to kill those that look at them sideways. They think they're free of rules to do whatever they want without repercussions."

Liu agreed he's a criminal that will whack anyone that looked at him sideways. A statement of living rule free, he didn't fully agree because Liu has rules to follow under his family, and Rin. He broke some rules just to accomplish objectives, even if it cost him some repercussions, primarily from Rin.

Getting kicked by the instructor was his second punishment, which Liu deserved for being a dog.

"Liu King-Sang, even though we share mutual interests of taking down Three Dragons, there's a word that's called assistance. Ever thought of that when you lost your backup?"

Chifuyu gave a stern explanation no one would dare to talk back.

"I don't think you'll put the cuffs on me at all because that will make my family very unhappy, especially the boss. Am I right, Miss. Orimura?" Liu challenged the Brunhilde as if he wasn't afraid to die.

Chifuyu shook her head that Liu was almost like Mattheus the way he defy her many times. Righteousness Union doesn't take it kindly on anyone that would apprehend precious members to the slammer. In fact, Liu's associates listened carefully to make sure neither of them would do anything rash, and they'll take action to restore order.

"Three Dragons and I are in the same set, but we have different routes. He wants me dead to have his hands on Nightmare. I'll warn you this, Chifuyu. Three Dragons has some influence on the police department. Even your officers could be bribed or blackmailed into helping him and Phantom Task."

Chifuyu growled, tightening the grip on her drink before letting out a sigh.

"Isn't he a fine masterpiece?" said Chifuyu, drinking the alcohol. "You got anything else you want to show and tell?"

Liu shook his head since that was all of his evidence. "Other than Three Dragons' extensive connections, that's all I got, but you'll find this one pretty surprising. Joel nabbed Autumn that is now in IS Academy. That should brighten your mood to play detective."

"Autumn in IS Academy?" said Chifuyu with a twitchy eye. "As in she's a P.O.W.?"

"Yes, you can squeeze some vial information out of her," Liu explained casually. "I'm sure she'll crack immediately when you bring down the hammer."

Chifuyu took a breather, finishing up the bottle as she threw it away.

"She attempted to steal Byakushiki, and had the nerve to attack the students again. That'll do just for now, Liu."

Liu had the look to object Chifuyu's warning, but she glared with her menacing red eyes that made him think twice before Liu mouthed off again. Liu finished his bottle of black beer as the conversation came to an end.

"That's enough grilling out of you, Liu. You and Rin should get some rest."

Rin and Liu were about to leave until Chifuyu gave him a useful tip.

"Oh yeah, if you're going to take down Three Dragons, don't take him on in your own Triad, unless you know for a fact someone else is gonna back you up."

Rin took a sigh of relief Chifuyu bring Liu back to his senses as his associates escorted them back to their room. Liu removed his clothes to take a shower. With the hot water running, Liu washed himself with body soap, shampoo, and brushed his teeth. 5 minutes later, he stepped out of the bathroom, and Rin went in to clean herself up.

Wearing a gray tank top and black sweats, Liu laid on the bed. Rin freshened up in a bright pink pajama top with a cat imprinted. Her loose brown hair was something Liu liked to see. Rin cuddled to her boyfriend, wrapping his legs like a knot.

"What shampoo and body soap did you use?" Liu asked Rin, stroking her soft hair. "The products I used didn't have that smell, but regardless, you smell hella nice."

Rin smiled, snaking her arms around his shoulder. "Kracie Naïve Aloe body wash, and Ichikami Herbal shampoo."

Liu couldn't stop smelling the sweet scent while he brushed her beautiful hair. Rin stroke his tattoos she still admired the gorgeous colorful ink. She played a quick video clip on her IS in standby mode of Kaori going ballistic engulfed in flames. Nothing beats watching her going apeshit as they snickered at their hated enemy now turned into an annoyance. Liu wrapped his arms around her stomach, and kissed her in the lips.

"I'll promise you I won't leave you ever again, and keep certain secrets to ourselves."

"You better!" Rin tapped his forehead, and returned the kiss. "Good night, Liu."

Liu rubbed her head as he turned off the lights, and snoozed throughout the night until...

 **Snap.**

"Ooww...! Oh no..."

* * *

 **Time: 11:46PM – Phantom Task Hideout**

"Ah~the water feels nice!" Daryl exclaimed, swimming naked in the pool at a special floor of a high-class hotel.

"Aunt Squall is the leader of Phantom Task, and this treatment is rather different."

Squall, lying on the edge of the pool revealed a bitter smile when she heard her niece talked about her.

"Are you being sarcastic? I prefer you don't call me aunt, or our identities might be leaked."

"W-what's wrong?" Forte questioned sitting on a buoy butt naked, although Squall wore a swimsuit. The girls weren't alone in the private pool, Squall accompanied 4 of her bodyguards in suits for security purposes. Their weapons of choice were shortened AKMS, and HK UMP45. It was small, but not too big to guard two agents and the leader.

Daryl looked back at the bodyguard with a flirtatious look, but the poker face bodyguard was unaffected by her charm. Stone cold, void of emotions were the words to describe Squall's bodyguards. Sure they're not the best type to have a chat, but they're very efficient doing their job.

"Autumn is such a slow poke, I told her to bring Madoka here."

"Daryl, don't harass my bodyguards, they're not here to play with you," Squall warned, removing her aviator shades. "It's a shame Autumn got detained by IS Academy all thanks to the English first year student, and her little brat."

Squall frowned that her companion was now being detained. Her troops were also killed in action assisting Autumn, and Squall holds regards for their lives. Even though the ground troops were considered expandable, Squall doesn't like seeing her beloved troops killed every time they're deployed.

"Hold on tight, Autumn, I'm coming to get you soon," said Squall as her eyes appeared angry, but anxious at the same time. She got up from her pool chair to save her lover. The way Squall moved, she was not her usual self.

"We can only wait for an opportunity to come, Aunt Squall."

Rain said with a teasing tone as a female bodyguard whispered something into Squall's ear. She understood the situation and motioned 2 bodyguards to accompany her.

"Squall, it's time for inspection," said the female bodyguard. "New troops are ready to act upon your command."

2 bodyguards stepped outside to guard the entrance as Daryl and Forte get in closer with lustful smiles they kissed each other.

Squall wore her formal red dress, and her bodyguards walked down the stairs into a hanger, where technicians worked on IS units as IS pilots give directions. Troops carried boxes of equipment, inspecting their fresh arsenals, and by the time Squall arrived, they immediately stopped working.

Madoka appeared fine, and snapped her finger so loud the troops, IS pilots, and technicians lined up in formation. Squall and Madoka inspected the servants; they're squeaky clean, and have fierce loyalty.

"We waged a war against IS Academy to kill personal IS users," Squall said with her hands on her back. "The objective was a failure because we underestimated the capabilities of our enemies. Autumn is now P.O.W. to IS Academy, and we must retrieve her as soon as possible. Given the fact IS Academy won't yield that easily, we'll have to be cautious when approaching an enemy turf."

The troops and technicians didn't budge as they respond with slow nods while the charismatic Squall continued. "Don't be too hard on yourselves, those IS users aren't mere amateurs which you're not used to see compared to military IS pilots. In the end, I gathered enough combat information for you guys and gals to use. Everyone is free to use them as you please."

Squall's top underlings presented data information about Ichika and the whole gang. The information is very sensitive, and Phantom Task got their hands on it to turn the tables around. While they studied the strengths and weaknesses, they saved as much information as possible on their software like grabbing candies on Trick-or-Treat.

Phantom Task troops aren't exactly private military company or mercenaries; they're crooks recruited around the world to serve Phantom Task for big sum of reward. Trained in the art of surprise, and urban warfare tactics, they hit hard, and distinguish themselves to confuse enemies. They'll go even further to disguise as law enforcement officers or emergency service members.

Madoka nodded in approval for passed inspection as Squall closed her eyes. She had something up her sleeves, ready to reveal it.

"You may come out now."

The hangar doors open, and 30 troops walked in resembling Hong Kong Special Duties Unit or Shadow Company soldiers. These soldiers wore dark Navy Blue uniforms and Marengo light plate carrier, black balaclavas, tactical goggles attached to their ballistic helmets. Some wore gas mask to protect themselves from chemical warfare and distinguish themselves. They also appeared to have other equipment, such as extra magazines, concussion grenades, flares, etc. They're heavily armed, highly trained and extremely dangerous.

Their weapon of choice is HK MP5A3 with weapon lights, the widely used 9mm Submachine gun, but they also have modern weapons in their disposals. Up next were 6 IS pilots in Ultramarine Rafale Revive Custom II stood behind the soldiers. What stood out to them was their heavy equipment that looked intimidating. It ranged from battle-axe, medieval lance, shield bits, machine guns, and heat seeker missile pods, even an AIC copied off of Schwarzer Regen. Their extensive customization was beyond legal status for the purpose of destruction.

Squall could have deployed these heavily armed men and women earlier from Battle of Kyoto, but she didn't in order to gather combat data. Since Squall, Autumn and Madoka gathered sufficient data, it was time to debut them.

"It has a long uninteresting name. I just took to calling it…Lion," said Squall, pointing the head Lion soldier with two yellow stripes on her shoulder pads. "And yes, it does come in yellow."

Hologram Ichika and the gang materialized, charging at the Lion tactical units with live weaponry. Lion troops in groups of 5 covered their commando IS pilot, and opened fire. The head Lion operator slapped the handle back down on her MP5A3 to load a bullet in the chamber, squeezing the trigger. Hail of bullets hammered down as the hologram targets evaded the attack. The fake Houki slashed beam sabers as the ground troops raised their ballistic shields to protect the commando pilots.

They took the hit, but quickly recovered thanks to their heavy armory. This tactic was done to wear out IS users to give commando IS pilots the time to take them down. They charged head on, unleashing heavy assault without stopping at all. Their strength was very exceptional that matched the capabilities of personal IS users.

A Lion IS pilot charged beam of energy on her lance, and thrust at Laura and Mattheus, destroying them into pieces. Another IS pilot used her shield bit to deflect Cecilia's barrage of gunfire at high rate of speed without breaking a sweat. Lion troops fired their QJY-88 5.8x42mm heavy round Chinese light machine gun for suppressive fire, damaging their target's energy shields.

What's scary was the Lion tactical unit figured out the fighting patterns of Ichika and the gang quickly, pinpointing their strengths and weaknesses. With the information obtained, they can strengthen their fellow troops and IS pilots to be more lethal.

"Okay," said Madoka, folding her arms at the show and tell. "That's your plan to rescue Autumn from the hands of IS Academy?"

Squall smiled with content. "Regular troops wouldn't be able to handle Ichika and the others like last time. Think of the Lion as extra resistance to give us a bigger break."

Madoka was rather unimpressed with the new arsenal Phantom Task has to offer. _I can rescue Autumn without any backup like last time._ She looked up at Squall, her locket opened, revealing a picture of Chifuyu.

The captain approached to Squall for further orders. "When do you us to rescue Autumn from her captives, Squall?"

Squall gently patted the captain's armored shoulders. Squall knows how desperate she is to get her lover, but right now, it's not the appropriate time.

"Wait until the heat has died down, my dear. It's best we lay low for a while from the raid on Kyoto."

The captain nodded as she walked to her fellow men and women.

"There's too much heat going on due to our assault that caused a lot of attention," the captain said, putting away her gun. "We don't take action until her say so. That means no attacking IS Academy, even if Autumn cracks. We'll get her back on track, is that clear?"

"Yes!" The Lion troops and IS pilots said in unison. Formality wasn't required to address each other since they're not in the military; a simple yes or no was enough to answer questions.

"M," Squall said. "Tell Daryl and Forte to stop what they're doing, we all need to get our beauty sleep."

Madoka obeyed as she walked away while Squall adjusted her dress. "Sleep tight, my servants."

Squall truly cared for her workers as shown when she told them not to take the failed objective too hard. Squall's servants were dismissed while she and her bodyguards went back to her room.

Madoka wished she didn't want to baby-sit the lovers. Madoka groaned when Daryl and Forte were going at it so loud she could hear them as she made her way up.

* * *

"Mmmm…aaahhh…!"

Daryl moaned as Forte groped her F-cup breasts, playing her nipples hard as AK bullets. Daryl raised her head to lick and nibbled the ear and neck of Forte.

Forte used her fingers to insert Daryl's womanhood, stimulating her lover more and more. Daryl threw her head back from the pleasure and sucked on Forte's petite breasts like a vacuum cleaner. Making gargling noises from her sloppy foreplay, Forte tried to keep her mouth shut, but the pleasure was too much for her, and she yelped.

"Uuuuuu! Hughhh…"

Forte made lewd noises from the irresistible desires while she continued fingering Daryl. The moist and slapping noises from the furious foreplay echoed. Outside, bodyguards stood stiff as mannequins, clutching their firearms to let the agents finish. Forte kissed Daryl's mouth, enjoying on how much it feels good to make out her senpai with no limits.

The rubbing of their baby pale skins only sensationalized both Daryl and Forte to wrestle their saliva filled tongues.

"Aaaahhh!"

Forte grabbed Daryl's bubbly behind, and smacked them like bongos. Her butt jiggled from the spanking that made Daryl more lustful to pull Forte's braided ponytail, kissing and licking her innocent looking face.

Their make out session sent them into system overload while they shared another deep kiss. Sounds of moist mouth locking in with each other and moaning filled the empty pool. Daryl caressed Forte in the armpit while she rubbed against her waist. Daryl and Forte couldn't stop showing love, and taking a break was out of the question. Daryl furiously rubbed Forte in the thighs, and the poor petite Greece girl screamed in delight.

"GAAHH!" Forte was on the verge of releasing her juices, not before she spanked Daryl once more. As they were about to finish, Madoka opened the door that interrupted them, effectively ruining their final piece of the puzzle. Daryl and Forte groaned at Ichika's sister that had to ruin the fun.

Madoka shook her head at the lovers. "It's past your bedtime, lovebirds, You're making way too much ruckus."

"Oohh poo!" Daryl pouted, crossing her arms. "Why do you have to be such a party crasher?"

"You're no fun at all, M," said Forte, wiping tears off her face. "I'm telling Squall!"

"Not going to happen, everyone's sleeping right now. Or do I have to spell it out?"

Madoka partial deployed optical drones aimed at the butt naked lovers to make her point. Daryl and Forte knew Madoka was not to be fucked with, and complied as they got out of the pool. Madoka withdrew her drones while the bodyguards escorted the birthday suit agents to their respective rooms.

* * *

 **Time: 10:30 AM - Stadium**

Ichika and the gang were finally back in IS Academy from the wild vacation they had. Thanks to Phantom Task that made a grand entry to kick up the fun, Kyoto was under major repairs to undue the damages. Luckily, everyone survived from the horrific incident, and Liu was back to his senses thanks to Chifuyu.

Class started as usual, followed by a training session with IS classmates. At the Stadium, Class 1-1 and 1-2 stood in formation with Chifuyu in her jogging suit. Cecilia looked around, and noticed Liu was not around.

"Where's Liu?"

Chifuyu said. "He pulled a muscle on his right forehand, so he won't be joining us today. Don't worry, Liu is still around for something else because you're in for a surprise."

That was true because something was about to turn things upside down when they see a Flemish man, and a young Irish boy.

"I would like to introduce you to Mattheus Adjzof, and Joel Pearce, your combat instructors!" Maya proudly announced.

Mattheus wore a dark gray sweater with a hoodie, and denim jeans. The classmates were slightly shocked seeing their new instructors because Mattheus was a third male pilot next to Ichika and Liu. Ichika stood silently with a small grin as the girls had confused expressions on their faces.

"Combat instructor, eh?" Laura folded her arms, unimpressed with the Flemish man. "Chifuyu-sensei is the best instructor out in the world. We don't need another one."

Undeterred by her challenge, Mattheus nodded his head to make his point.

"In case you haven't remembered, Maya beat Rin and Cecilia 2 on 1 to demonstrate her capabilities. Would you like to make a rerun?"

Rin and Cecilia frowned that they got whooped by Maya that had a basic IS. However, Laura was determined to test her new instructor's patience.

"I'm not convinced of your credibility," said Laura, deploying Schwarzer Regen. "You'll never be like Chifuyu. Show me what you got!"

Classmates nervously stood back because they know how dangerous Laura can be in combat mode. Mattheus sighed, deploying Lavathenian that he didn't want to do it, but he had no choice.

"Don't say I warned you, Laura. You'll show me the proper respect as us instructors."

They soared into the air with Laura hack and slash with beam sabers. Mattheus drew Goedendag, his long spear as he parried Laura's furious attacks. As they traded blows, Chifuyu calmly looked over her students to provide commentary.

"This is Joel Pearce, the young genius that created Lavathenian specifically for Mattheus."

Chifuyu pointed Joel watching the battle while the young punk ate popcorn at the same time. The classmates were shocked that a twelve year old that created Lavathenian.

"It's smaller than the usual IS that has less energy shields, and doesn't match the power capacity. Don't be fooled because it makes up for agility, wide variety of arsenals that can be lethal with the right hands. Think of it as a hit and run personnel, or put it this way, a ninja that never reveals his plans."

Joel chimed in. "Lavathenian is a Generation X IS created by my hands. Weapons are AK-47, Spas-12, Chasseur, pistol, and bolt action sniper rifle. My personal favorite is White Death, named after Simo Häyhä. Thing is a cannon that can bring an IS down to its knees in a second. Like Chifuyu said, Lavathenian's arsenals doesn't match the power compared to an IS, but it's enough to put some damage."

As Chifuyu and Joel finished their commentary, a big pile of smoke erupted, and down goes Laura hurling down the ground, and crashed, creating a giant crater hole. Laura was dazed from Mattheus's surprise Spas-12 blast to the gut. She wasn't hurt too bad thanks to Schwarzer Regen's defenses, but her pride was greatly damaged.

Mattheus helped Laura back on her feet, which she turned her head away in embarrassment, growling that Chifuyu would poke fun at her loss.

"I hope this demonstration would help you understand what your new instructor is capable of," Chifuyu said with her hands behind her back. "And knowing that, showing us instructors the proper respect."

Classmates stare in awe at Mattheus's strengths as he pointed at the Uchiganes lined in formation. Class has begun as his first day of teaching classmates.

"By now, you have some familiarity of using Uchigane. You should know how to get in and out of it without any assistance. It's a common mistake for riders, but under my instructions, you'll be stronger than before."

Mattheus directed towards Ichika as he jumped in Uchigane with one leap without a slipup. The classmates were in awe of his appearance, but Mattheus wasn't going to let them be hypnotized by him.

"Ladies, get inside Uchigane without any assistance," Mattheus said with a stern voice. "We won't be amused if you can't complete the basics."

Classmates at first were a bit hesitant, but after witnessing Ichika, they leaped inside Uchigane with 170cm katanas by their side. Better yet, they wouldn't dare pushing his patience.

"Good, draw your katanas!"

They drew their katanas in battle positions while Mattheus inspected their postures, and the grip of their weapons.

"Strike!" Mattheus barked like a Marines drill sergeant. The classmates raised their katanas and swung it down, followed by another down slash, and a horizontal swing. Mattheus nodded his head when they do it correctly, and shook his head if their postures were off.

"Back to your positions!" Joel ordered.

Mattheus noticed some errors the classmates had when they attack. He had knowledge when it comes to weapons, and Mattheus and Joel was the perfect candidate to be combat instructors.

"You rely on speed and good reflexes to beat your opponents, but you forgot your hips are not completely engaged for forward attack," said Mattheus, showing some pictures of improper techniques. "Make sure your posture and technique are correct so you don't leave yourselves open to attack through bad kamae."

Chifuyu watched Mattheus and Joel teaching the classmates without any slipups from these two. Being an instructor is not funny business in her eyes, and Chifuyu has expectations from them. She jotted notes for future references.

Mattheus grabbed a katana to show his proper techniques. "As you can see, my posture is natural and comfortable. Centre should be focused on your target, but that doesn't mean that both hands and the mid-point of your head and body should be in a direct line. Your body should form a triangle pointing your target."

They corrected their postures and techniques while Mattheus and Joel carefully inspected them. By the time the classmates followed their instructions, they improved in less than an hour. As the classmates perform consecutive strikes and defenses, Mattheus and Joel nodded their head in approval. Chifuyu approached them with a katana on her right hand.

"Not bad, you two," said Chifuyu. "Houki will take over, you deserve a break from teaching my classmates."

Houki gave a nod of approval to Mattheus and Joel before she trained the classmates with advanced combat techniques, and sparring sessions.

Ichika was impressed by his best friend's abilities to teach. On the other hand, the girls were slightly convinced of their skills. Mattheus deactivated Lavathenian and walked towards them.

"I haven't properly introduced myself thanks to Phantom Task that attacked us at Kyoto," said Mattheus, stretching his arms.

"It's not too late now," said Ichika, his face smiling moon-bright. "You don't mind to tell who you really are, right?"

"Not at all, I'm not just your instructor, I'm good friends with Ichika, aka older bro that helped him through life."

With a little mischievous, half-dreaming smile, he watched their expressions slightly irritated that he said older bro. Their friendship is very strong that can never be torn apart like super glue.

"How long did you know Ichika?" Charlotte questioned their friendship.

"Aha," Ichika tee-heed. "Way before I met you, Laura, and Cecilia."

"Take it from my words," Mattheus replied. "Don't be surprised that I knew him and Rin way back then."

"Heh?" Laura said.

Ichika tittered, then watched Laura slightly clenching her right fist like she's about to erupt a volcano. Laura wasn't going to be mocked by his "bride" and the foreigner.

"That's silly talk! You beat me in a mock battle, and you dared to take Ichika away?"

Charlotte can't let Laura blow her fuse, and she quickly pulled out bunny shaped gummies. Charotte shoved it in Laura's mouth as she ate her favorite sweets, and calmed down. Joel and Cecilia giggled at Laura happily eating as Charlotte scratched her head, making an extremely cute scene.

"Sorry about that," Charlotte gave Laura a bag of candy to ease her mood. "She can loose her marbles when something doesn't go to her agenda."

Laura gobbled the candy like a hamster as Charlotte patted her head. Mattheus couldn't stop hiding his smug at the French and German girl.

"Where was I saying?" Mattheus said sheepishly.

"That you knew Ichika a while back," Joel chimed in.

Mattheus's face came to life. "Oh! I'll explain it short and sweet to not bore you girls. When Houki moved, I became acquainted with Ichika to be friends with the same gender. I looked out after him when he's down in the dumps or whatever, I'm always there to help him out, or to kick it."

Rin remembered Ichika hanging out with Mattheus when they were little, clasping her hands together, twisting them.

"I remember you!" Rin exclaimed. "We met at an arcade center, and slept over at my parent's restaurant."

Mattheus smirked that she recognized him. "Rin knows this. After all, who fended off the rude couple that mouthed us off? And the fact you invited us to your restaurant? I love the food your parents make!"

Ichika and Rin chuckled as the girls gave an understanding expression. Chifuyu was impressed of Mattheus and Joel's teaching skills, and since she's in a good mood, Chifuyu let them be. After all, Chifuyu got Liu back to his former self. Laura, Rin, and Charlotte went to teach the rest of the classmates. A long day of training got their stomachs growling for lunch.

"Want to get lunch?" Ichika asked Cecilia.

Cecilia's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Sure thing!"

"I-hey!"

Cecilia tugged Ichika away from the girls as Mattheus and Joel tagged along.

* * *

 **Time: 12:35PM – Cafeteria**

Ichika had a bowl of Tonkotsu ramen while Cecilia brought homemade Beef Wellington that looked scrumptious. Determined to have Ichika appreciate her cooking skills, Cecilia sliced a piece of the beef.

"Here, try some!"

Mattheus and Joel had Mitraillette, a Belgian sandwich popular among students. The bread had Frikandel, fries, and sauce andalouse. Ichika was well aware how horrible Cecilia's cooking could be, but he didn't want to hurt her feelings. While the Flemish man and young Irish boy watch Ichika slowly ate the filet steak wrapped in baked puff pastry. Ichika's face lit up that Cecilia's cooking was actually delicious as he smiled.

"Oh my god! Cecilia, your cooking has improved!" Ichika exclaimed.

"You like it?!" Cecilia squealed, grasping her hands.

Mattheus and Joel scotched back slightly from the jittery British girl, they did not expect the sudden mood change. Ichika nodded, offering her some ramen as Cecilia took a bite. She lit up, and Ichika smiled.

"Glad you like-"

"Cecilia?" Houki grunted, pointing her katana at Cecilia. The emotionally unstable Kendo girl emitted raging aura around her. "Ichika, what's going on?"

"Don't blow a fuse on us, we're having lunch together," Mattheus said, eating his sandwich. "Watch where you're pointing at, someone could get hurt easily."

Cecilia glared at Houki that was just as intense.

"Care to join us?" Joel offered an empty seat. "We don't bite, well, except Cecilia the haughty one."

Cecilia hissed at Joel, which he merely gave a mocking "I don't know" pose.

Mattheus smirked at Joel as Houki took a seat, looking away at Cecilia while Ichika quietly ate his ramen to not further aggravate Houki and Cecilia. Ichika has a head full of bricks that seem to not understand the girls' feelings for him. At least he wasn't at fault for this because Cecilia had Ichika all by herself.

"How do you like IS Academy, Mattheus and Joel?" Ichika started the awkward conversation.

"Not bad, asides that it's very technological and not to mention, very big," Mattheus wiped his lips with a napkin.

"A lot of girls like you that much, isn't that true?"

Ichika scratched his head, slightly chuckling that he was popular among female classmates. "You could say that just because I'm the only boy, except you, Mattheus, and Liu."

On the other hand, Houki gritted her teeth that Cecilia beat her to it to get lunch with Ichika first.

 _Damn you, Cecilia! You won't be laughing the next time I'm with Ichika._

Mattheus turned to Houki, but scooted back when he saw her radiating steam of anger.

"Houki, please, calm down," Ichika said, "What happened to you?"

She smiled, hiding her rage at the same time. Houki clenched her right fist to break Cecilia's arrogant face. "It's nothing, Ichika, I didn't expect Cecilia to be here as well…"

Mattheus wasn't fooled of her façade, and it was up to him to extinguish the flames. "Houki, eat a Mitraillette."

Houki tilted her head, staring at the juicy sandwich. "Why?"

"Because you turn into a Tsundere when you're hungry."

Houki frowned as she took a bite of the sandwich, and the savory meat, sauce and fries turned her soul mood into happy sunshine.

"Better?"

"Better." Houki swooned at this point.

* * *

 **Time: 1:15PM – Hangar Room**

Ichika transferred combat data into Byakushiki as Liu assisted him while Cecilia and her technicians tuned Blue Tears for better stability. Houki, Mattheus, and Joel oversee the trainees. Laura and Charlotte took over long-range training since Liu's right forearm wasn't fully healed.

"What happened to your right forearm?" Ichika asked. "It looks like you can't move properly."

Liu scratched his head. "Oh this, I pulled a muscle last night, but I'm fine, thanks for asking."

Ichika would hate to be in Liu's condition, but he already has a lot to deal with being the most popular student. Good thing Ichika gain some skills maintaining an IS from Honne and her technicians that worked on Uchigane Nishki.

"Liu, bring me a data scanner and the ultrasonic wave tester, please."

"Here you go."

"10mm socket and wrench."

"Got it."

Despite his right arm not functioning properly, Liu helped Ichika as much as he can. Byakushiki was in need of total maintenance, and they weren't the only ones. The girls, along with Mattheus and Joel also need to have their personal IS undergo repair.

"Man, Byakushiki has some impressive arsenals," said Liu, watching Ichika polishing Byakushiki.

"Yukihara Type 2 once belonged to Chifuyu before she handed to me," Ichika described his signature weapon. "It's an ordinary metal sword, but when the One Off Ability is in play, thing is strong to out battle IS."

Ichika wasn't done talking. "Chifuyu is strict, prideful, stoic, gives us plenty of crap, but deep down, she cares a lot for our well being. No way she'll ever let anyone lay a finger on me or my friends."

Liu reminisced his time with Righteousness Union that always looked out for each other. Sure, they have done some crime to get money in order to survive. Family was one thing they'll never turned their backs on.

"Ichika, I got something cool to show you, want to check it out?"

"Sure thing."

The boys went to a shooting range with targets scattered 25m away. Liu revealed a black duffel bag as he set down a black semi-automatic pistol, and 2 box magazines on the table. Ichika stared at the handgun like it was something new.

"You can't be serious brandishing a firearm," said Ichika. "Don't tell me you got-"

Liu revealed a stainless side pistol. Ichika could only give a somber look with depressing aura around him.

"I borrowed it from a friend," Liu replied. "Go ahead."

Ichika hesitated looking at the pistol, but he took it, and inspected the stainless side pistol. Liu gave Ichika 2 box magazines.

Ichika had some experience with firearms as he loaded a box magazine, and pulled the slide back. Aiming down the night sights, Ichika squeezed the trigger, and the recoil slightly pushed his hands back.

"That's a HS2000 45 caliber semi-automatic," Liu tapped Ichika's shoulders. "The recoil is pretty high, so don't tense up. Relax your shoulders and fire."

Ichika took a deep breath, and fired at the targets. Despite the recoil, it didn't mess up Ichika's stance and aim. Ichika continuously fired his HS2000 without blinking or flinching. He does an excellent job keeping his composure, and 7 out of 13 bullets hit the bullseye.

"Not bad shooting a gun with your bare hands."

Liu grabbed his QSZ-92, loading a 20 round box magazine, and fired left hand. Ichika smirked as he reloaded a clip, and fired away. The boys were so focused hitting their targets that they didn't noticed Mattheus, Joel, and the girls approached them.

They emptied their bullets in the process. Liu had a handicap due to his sore right forearm that forced him to use his left hand. 9 bullets hit the bullseye as Ichika scored 8 out of 13.

"No wonder where the noise was coming from," said Charlotte, looking at the bullet-ridden targets Ichika shot. "You happened to use that gun, no?"

Ichika nodded, setting the unloaded gun to the table. Houki never knew her childhood friend would use a firearm up close. Then again, Houki fired a machine gun, but she preferred to use swords.

"It's a different experience firing a gun bare hand," said Ichika. "What else is in the bag?"

Liu revealed the bag, and the girls were shocked looking inside the content that had some guns and ammunition. On the other hand, Mattheus and Joel weren't surprised at all.

"Whose guns are those?" Laura asked, holding the HK416 with an ACOG scope.

"Borrowed it from a friend."

Liu used the same excuse, which in reality, Righteousness Union gave it to Liu in case of emergencies, and he's allowed to keep them.

"Chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO, no doubt it's German's finest weapons that has derived mechanisms from the G36. I wonder what happens when you fire towards a target. Will it break into pieces…?"

Laura had knowledge with weapons coming from a trained soldier in her childhood. The way she described the gun made the girls a bit unsettled like she wanted to use it right away.

"Liu, you don't mind if we check them out?" Joel said, holding a Vityaz-SN equipped with Zenit-made rails. Joel gleefully hoped that he could fire the Izmash 9mm submachine gun.

"Go ahead, it's one of the rare occasions that I let you guys use them. Make sure you don't break it, and better not tell anyone about this."

The girls and Mattheus rummaged through the duffel bag, grabbing whatever they have in their hands.

Cecilia had a L1A1 that suited her sniping type, Houki with a Bushmaster ACR Compact, and Rin with the QBZ-03. Charlotte carried a FAMAS-G2, and Mattheus's weapon of choice, an AKS-74U. Liu and Ichika watched the gang firing the targets.

"Arrgg!" Houki growled, aiming down her sight.

There came three moving targets with Squall, Madoka, and Autumn drawn on it. Houki tried to shoot them down, but most of her shots missed. They took notice, and frowned as if the inanimate objects mocked them.

"You're going down…" Houki muttered in a murderous tone. She fired 5 remaining bullets, but none of them scored a hit. Houki reloaded, carefully aiming at the moving targets.

"We got you, Houki," said Mattheus.

"You're not the only one that despises Phantom Task," Cecilia replied. "I'll provide you assistance."

"All for one, and one for all!"

Ichika can't miss this opportunity to vent out some anger at Phantom Task as he drew his HS2000. Liu took the last weapon in the duffel bag that was very compact size.

Brandishing his carry gun, Liu could only smile and said, "Hit em with the Draco!"

Rin got slightly confused. "That's a weird looking gun, doesn't look like a proper firearm."

"I have to agree you on that, Rin," Mattheus replied. "Is this thing supposed to be an AK or what?"

"Issa knife," said Liu in a lazy voice.

"Umm, what?" Mattheus didn't understand the slang Liu blurted out.

"Just kidding, it's a Draco AK-47 pistol, an ugly contraption. But hey, it's better than being empty handed, right?"

Everyone got their guns lock and loaded aiming at the Phantom Task targets.

"On my mark…open fire!" Houki barked, burst firing her ACR.

Hail of bullets hammered down the moving targets to the point it was barely recognized. Liu gripped his Draco to keep it steady, despite the heavy weight that was designed to be used two hands. Six bullets remained in the magazine, and Liu fired without missing a shot. Everyone set their guns down to see their targets have been neutralized.

"Oh yeah, victory is ours!" Cecilia cheered.

Mattheus had to give it to Liu he wasn't too bad for a male IS pilot. They remembered to set the safety triggers on before returning the guns back. Liu even offered Ichika his HS2000, but Ichika politely declined.

"Guns aren't my specialty as a weapon," said Ichika, handing back the stainless side gun. "Kendo is good enough for me."

"Fair enough, Ichika."

Rin smiled at Liu that was back to his usual personality, but a bit calmer and more mature. Ichika and the gang are Liu's greatest strong arms, though he didn't realize it. They shared mutual interest of taking down Phantom Task. Liu can't do this alone, and the last attempt almost got him killed. They were more than just friends. They're a family, regardless of blood or age. Families look out for each other, no matter how dire the situation is.

Righteousness Union were also concerned at Liu that's been MIA, but he was lucky they found him. Righteousness Union cared about family the most. Brothers and sisters never stab each other for a pot of gold. Sadly, it's one rotten apple that had to break apart the harmony. Three Dragons instigated the civil war that forced Liu to take action. For once in his life, he was glad to be given another chance.

Mattheus and Joel walked towards the maintenance room with Chifuyu and Tatenashi leaned against the door. Chifuyu had a folder on her right hand while Tatenashi twirled her fan.

"Ladies, are you ready?" Mattheus asked. "Chifuyu, it's your dream to play the lead role in CSI you love to watch."

Chifuyu and Tatenashi nodded as they opened the door to meet their maker.

* * *

Issa knife is short for "It's a." It was commonly used as a slang before the famous rapper 21 Savage interview where he mentioned his knife tattoo on his forehead.

Int: What does the cross on your forehead signify?"  
21 Savage: Issa knife.

For those that's looking for a story to read, check out Infinite Stratos: The Graduated Student and the Irish Street Punk written by Kerlongsj Evert Orlejov. It's a good one.


	21. A Loser I Despise The Most

**Time: 1:27PM – Interrogation Room**

At an interrogation room, there was a clean table, LED lamp, two chairs, and a computer. Autumn sat in her chair while an IS female staff gave her a plate of dozen donuts, followed by a cup of coffee. Was this a joke to role play as cops or show sympathy for the Phantom Task agent? Feeling insulted for being locked up by a young punk, Autumn refused to touch the donuts. The staff opened the door for Chifuyu, Tatenashi, Mattheus and Joel. While the staff kept an eye out on Autumn, Chifuyu had a folder on her left hand, and tossed it on the table.

Chifuyu played detective as she gave a humorless look at Autumn. While the surveillance camera recorded, Tatenashi smirked at the detained psychopath before Autumn slammed her fists, pointing at the Student Council President.

"Little bitch! Acting like you're superior to everyone else," Autumn shouted. "You won't get a thing from me at all."

"Ara, I am the almighty that thwarted you into your worst nightmare. Feel free to eat the donuts. It's your favorite kind, am I right?"

Tatenashi taunted the agent holding a chocolate glazed donut with sprinkles, treating her like an infant. Tatenashi intentionally gave Autumn her least favorite food in order to make her vent out anger. Autumn hissed as Tatenashi ate the sweet snack, licking the sprinkles all over her lips like a cat.

Autumn would rather die with honor than face the endless humiliation by Tatenashi or Madoka. However, the Brunhilde was just getting started as she continued to stare at her, clenching her left fist.

"Now you asked for it, Chinese eyes!" Autumn immediately stood up to intimidate the interrogators. However, the response she got was the staff forcing Autumn to sit down. Autumn read the files that had incriminating evidence against her, but the handwriting was too sloppy.

"Hehehe," Chifuyu chuckled at the insult before she turned serious. "You piece of shit, I'm getting tired of your mouth."

Mattheus folded his arms while Joel nodded while the interrogation is in session. Tatenashi walked around the table like a shark with Autumn the helpless fish. Chifuyu took the files to read it from top to bottom.

"It's long, so bear with me," Chifuyu said, pointing highlighted key notes. "Autumn the Phantom Task agent, you cannot deny the fact you committed murder, running a high scale smuggling ring, extortion, fraud, robbery, and…yadda yadda yadda so damn much. I'll need another page to keep up this list."

"Are you mocking me?" Autumn told Chifuyu. "I'm not telling you anything at all. Why don't you make a foursome right now? This is getting boring."

Chifuyu kept her cool, quelling her anger for that unnecessary remark. Mattheus and Joel wanted to knock Autumn out so bad for hearing her sassy mouth.

"It's simple because we're the good guys that stop bad guys like you. I want something from you, and it's the best that you cooperate with us."

"Fuck you, what you'll only get is a mugshot of my cum stain panties."

Chifuyu shook her head that it will be a long day. "I guess you're illiterate of what I just said. Maybe this will make your brain function properly with this."

Tatenashi revealed pictures of Autumn engaging in shady business activities. These hard proof pictures showed it all that can't be denied at all. Tatenashi folded her fan covering her mouth with the kanji translated 'Justice'.

"What do you know about Three Dragons and Kaori's motives to be associated with Phantom Task?" Tatenashi questioned Autumn.

"Be honest with us, Squall," Mattheus jumped in. "Who gave you get the device that tried to kill Ichika in order to steal Byakushiki?"

"Huh?" Autumn acted like she was deaf before she spit Tatenashi, but she quickly deflected it with her fan.

"What a naughty woman you are," Tatenashi replied, cleaning her fan.

"Where did you learn to run your dirty mouth like that?" Joel stepped up to play bad cop.

"I don't remember asking a half sized Leprechaun to ask me questions."

Joel lost his cool, and flipped the donuts away from the table. "What part of cooperation you don't understand? English, motherfucker, do you know how to speak it?"

"Kiss my right cheek."

"Let's try this again," said Joel, holding Arachne in standby mode badly damaged from the last battle, and slammed it on the table. "Who is Kaori Saito?"

"A girl."

"Does Kaori look like a bitch?"

"Huh?" Autumn gave him the 'I don't know' expression, much to his annoyance.

"You're asking to have your ass kicked right now," Joel warned the agent.

"You mean why are you trying to look like a bitch?"

Ticked off at Autumn mouthing him off, Joel was inches away from using his equalizer.

"I like to hear you say that in front of my face again…"

Autumn taunted the young punk. "Boy, it's too early for half-assed jokes with you nodding your head every time like a fucking eunuch."

Joel had enough of the joker, and aimed his customized M1911A1 at Autumn by the nose.

"Say 'fucking eunuch' again. I dare you, I double dare you muthafucka, say that shit one more fucking time!"

Autumn wasn't fazed at Joel's intimidation, and threw a middle finger. "Eat this, you fucking ball-less lapdog."

Autumn stood up once again to show Joel she's the boss, but the staff sat her down with a bigger push. Joel tried to squeeze the trigger to get this over with, but Chifuyu took it away with a disapproval look.

"She's just trying to push our buttons," Chifuyu warned Joel, emptying the clip. "That will only encourage her to be less cooperative."

Autumn was trained to resist interrogation while she glared as usual to remain defiant. Joel growled as Mattheus set him aside to take a shot to make Autumn crack.

"Let me handle this, Joel," Mattheus said. "We have to keep Autumn alive, dead suspects can't talk."

Mattheus dimmed the ceiling lights to turn on the table lamp, and shined it at Autumn.

"That wasn't nice of you to lay a finger on Joel at all," Mattheus said in a strict tone, putting more incriminating files against her. "Do that again, we're liable to forget we promised to keep you alive. You think we're joking? This Chasseur pistol on my hip will make you wish you beg for forgiveness. Why does Three Dragons want to steal Nightmare from Liu?"

As a sign of disrespect, Autumn wore a black ski mask, not before she responded in a Southern accent. "Aye listen here mane, y'all finna put some respeck on my name, you know what I'm saying? Stop playing with my fucking name, I ain't going to say it no mo'."

Confused of her sudden Ebonics talk, Mattheus cupped his forehead while his right hand was on the pistol. Tatenashi casually folded her fan to watch the interrogation.

"I bet everything on it, I'm gon' knock y'all stupid asses, watch!"

Autumn ended her short rant with her arms crossed, and no progress has been made since Autumn refused to cooperate with the enemy. Threatening her with words and weapons only made it worse. There's no way in hell she'll ever surrender to a bunch of teenagers and a Brunhilde while she's the notorious Phantom Task agent. The last thing Autumn wanted was a rope of life to escape this cubicle room.

"I'm Autumn, the almighty AUTUMN!"

Chifuyu had enough of Autumn playing around as she ripped the ski mask off her head. Mattheus and Joel were also losing patience with the psychopathic woman. As Chifuyu took a seat, she revealed a piece of paper from her pocket breast. Using a new approach, Chifuyu didn't hold back to use it that will make Autumn cooperate once and for all.

"Autumn, would you like to hear the bad news first or the good news?" Chifuyu questioned the prisoner.

"Do your worst," Autumn challenged her interrogators. "It's a mistake keeping me as a prisoner because my units will rescue me as planned, and Squall will be mine forever."

"Go ahead. While your underlings are on the way right now, the teachers neutralized all of them, and what would Squall think of that she also used all of her soldiers to save one lost soul? If I recall, Squall hates losing her expendable men and women."

Autumn slowly sweat that her tough character was crumbling. Mentioning Squall was the keyword to this case. Chifuyu's interrogation technique was the pride and ego to attack the self-image of an overconfident prisoner.

"That's a lie! Squall would never do that because she knows how strong I am to be next to her."

"I'm not done yet. Squall wasn't happy that you're detained here, so she gathered all the muscle she can to retrieve you one way or the other. While your units failed, her underlings took over, and failed too. Because Squall focused all of her manpower to get you, an assassin bypassed the security systems to go after Madoka and Squall…"

"Shut up! I don't know what you're talking about!" Autumn yelled, knocking the coffee over. The staff gave Chifuyu another cup of coffee while Chifuyu got the drop on her.

Autumn tried to maintain her rebel attitude, but it was clear she's about to lose the false mask. Tatenashi, Mattheus and Joel saw the body language Autumn lost eye contact. Chifuyu kept her cool she was getting there as she read the prop witness statement.

"At 10:50PM, four witnesses heard gunshots at an unknown high rise building on ground floor, and saw a blonde woman wearing a red dress lying face down with multiple gunshots…"

Autumn pulled her hair in frustration during an interrogation by the Brunhilde.

"Madoka sacrificed Squall to escape, and doctors said Squall is in critical condition in the ER," Chifuyu said, drinking coffee as Autumn was losing her cool. This was what they need to make Autumn cooperate.

"Sadly, Squall succumbed to her wounds from the fatal shootout from the unknown assassin. You announced Phantom Task loud and clear that you must be saved from the hands of IS Academy. The police saved the record that's now in my hands. With this, along with the heinous crimes you committed, it's enough dirt to put you in a death sentence for your heinous crimes."

One more push was needed to make Autumn shed tears.

"Before Squall passed away, she left her final words that Autumn would be a perfect candidate to be the leader of Phantom Task, and never yield to IS Academy at all. What a shame, Autumn that your carelessness got you into this mess because not only your IS was damaged, but you lost by a bunch of teenagers. What would you like to say to your deceased leader?"

Chifuyu's words struck Autumn in the heart, and she got a taste of defeat again by IS Academy.

"STOP IT, STOP IT, STOP IT!" Autumn yelled, pulling her hair. "WWAAAHHH!"

Like a banshee, Autumn shrieked all of her might, repeatedly pounding the table before tears shed from her eyes, and Autumn broke down. Mattheus and Joel covered their ears from the pitch screaming agent that Autumn finally cracked while Tatenashi took a box of tissues as a gesture of compassion.

Chifuyu was like a calm, stern mother towards the unstable Autumn losing her marbles. Chifuyu gave a tissue to Autumn, and she reluctantly wiped her face.

"What's wrong, Autumn?" Chifuyu whispered. "All we want is you to tell the truth, that's all there is to it."

Unable to cope with the death of her beloved lover, Autumn decided to leak some dirt against her allies.

"I-I want my Squall back p-p-please…!" Autumn blubbered, fighting through the tears and mucus. "Why Madoka had to do this? T-that hoe is dead!"

Chifuyu laid her finger on Autumn's lips to shush her. "Easy there, cowgirl, we can get you to Squall by answering us this simple question: Why Three Dragons and Kaori associated with Phantom Task? In fact, you can get Madoka the way you wanted without any interference."

"T-three Dragons seeks Nightmare in order to settle the score with Liu," Autumn said in a somber tone. "First, Three Dragons associated with Phantom Task to strengthen them in order to get influence. His primary motive to steal Nightmare was for Kaori..."

"Go on…" Chifuyu folded her hands.

"…He plans to use Kaori and Nightmare to build an ultimate IS combined with Phoenix. Three Dragons wanted to expand his criminal operations to rule the underworld. If that wasn't bad enough, Three Dragons also planned to form a new society for the sake of power. Only his followers agreed to it, but the rest of the members rejected because it emphasizes brotherhood and unity. Such a revolt would not be accepted by Righteousness Union that will make the civil war harder to contain."

The interrogators smiled that they got viable sources from Autumn. The truth behind this; Chifuyu told a false story to make Autumn believe it, and use it to gain the trust of revealing the truth. They left her alone while the staff resumed to guard the prisoner.

"Hah! That'll teach her not to touch us ever again," said Joel in a confident tone. "The look on that face was satisfying to watch her lose her shit."

"I agree," Mattheus replied, stretching his arms. "Perhaps we might have learned new methods of interrogation. Words make up everything that can change the playing field."

Chifuyu remained silent before she and Tatenashi went to the office for further discussions.

"We'll be busy for a while, why don't you and Joel take a rest for the day?"

"I need it to get away from that shithead Autumn," Joel replied, yawning.

Mattheus and Joel nodded as they head to their rooms. Before they take a nap, Mattheus left a voice message for his good friend Ichika.

"Hey there, are you ok out there? We took care of Autumn all thanks to your big sister Chifuyu. Don't celebrate just yet because my gut tells me this is the beginning of Phantom Task cooking up something to make us out of comfort zone again. Until then, be safe, and have a good one."

Dead tired from dealing with Autumn, they took a deserved long nap.

* * *

Unbeknownst to them, an IS student placed a bug inside the room the entire time. She could only give an emotionless expression as she collected the entire conversation, and walked outside of IS Academy. At a sidewalk, the student stood next to a yellow Aventador that belonged to Kaori. The driver side window rolled down that revealed no other than Three Dragons, Liu's hated adversary.

Three Dragons held a wad of yen wrapped in rubber band. "Did Autumn tell everything, and has the sports festival started yet?"

The student nodded her head, knowing she's guilty for doing this.

"See? I told you it wasn't that hard. Your parents will be back with you safely when we kept them in our hands for refusing to help us. Go buy something nice to reward yourself for doing us a big favor."

Three Dragons gave the student huge stack of money. As the student sobbed quietly holding dirty money, Three Dragons made a phone call to Squall.

"Autumn cracked, and the student confirmed there's a sports festival that starts tomorrow. When's the best time to rescue Autumn?"

"Do it after the sports festival," Squall replied. "Until the heat dies out, we're not allowed to take action. Don't rally up our ground troops because it's going to be ugly, and I'm not willing to waste those resources."

"Understood."

Three Dragons gunned the Italian supercar, and the Aventador screeched its wheels as it drove away. The twisted gangster not only found Autumn cracked, he kidnapped the student's parents to make her do the dirty work for him, one way or the other.

* * *

 **Time: 10:38AM – Stadium**

Today was the day for sports festival, one of the highly anticipated events in IS Academy next to cultural festival that was held a few months back. Classmates were more than happy to showcase their athletic capabilities to make a name for themselves. This was Ichika's favorite event because it didn't require an IS to win.

First event was a 400 meter dash with Ichika, Liu, Houki, Cecilia, Charlotte, Laura, and Nagi Kagami, a classmate of Honne. Nagi was a pretty Japanese girl with medium length black hair, hair clips, and blue eyes. Wearing a white t shirt, and shorts, classmates cheered at their fellow athletes as they stretch to warm up.

Liu stared at Kagi that appeared shy from the sea of crowds cheering on before he stared at Ichika. He was pumped to blow his competitors into dust as the Japanese boy stretched his arms.

"Are you ready, girls and Liu?" Ichika said in a confident tone.

The girls were too focused on clearing their minds, and so was Liu. As they get to their starting blocks, Maya readied her starter pistol.

"Runners ready!" Maya shouted, pointing the starter pistol at the sky. As the competitors kneel, Maya squeezed the trigger, emitting a pop. The runners accelerated into the curve near maximum velocity zone to increase the gap from each other. Ichika was in the lead with Houki chasing, followed by Liu, and Nagi.

"GO ICHIKA!" Honne cheered, jumping up and down at the excitement. Halfway around the course, Ichika maintained its form to not go too fast or too slow in order to save energy towards the finish line. Rin caught up with Liu neck to neck as he tried to get away from her. Utilizing the momentum of the corner, Houki increased her speed, slowing catching up to her childhood friend.

The finish line was in their reach, and they went all out like pushing the accelerator to the floor in a car. Liu and Ichika ran as fast as they could, but out of nowhere, Nagi blew past them as if she used nitrous at the last minute. Nagi blew her competitors in the dust, leaving Liu and Ichika dumbstruck.

"How did she beat us…?" Ichika said in confusion. Nagi smirked, wiping her face with a towel. Normally, she was reserved and shy, but when it comes to competitions, Nagi turned into a different character. Nagi wiggled her finger at the competitors panting.

"Too soon," Nagi said in a confident tone. "I'm just getting started."

Victory goes to Nagi with Ichika in second place, and Liu in third place. As the girls head to the locker room to change, Ichika cleared his mind to not get nervous.

 _Don't get too overconfident now, Ichika…got to be careful next time._

Unfortunately, Laura didn't take her loss well, and slammed her fist at the locker with a deafening thump that startled the girls. The fact she came in last was an insult to her athletic skills.

"Nein! This isn't over yet," Laura growled, opening her damaged locker with rows of combat knives. "I will win no matter what."

Up next was 4x100 medley relay, and it couldn't get much more intensifying from the crowd. The girls donned in their dark blue swimsuits with swimming caps and goggles. Liu and Ichika drank their water bottles watching the swimming event about to happen in a few minutes.

Like an alley cat that magically appeared out of nowhere, Tatenashi appeared folding her fan.

"Hey boys! Enjoying the sports festival~?"

Liu and Ichika spewed their drinks and coughed from the water that went through their esophagus.

"You again-?!" Ichika pointed at the Student Council President. "Stop that, please! What do you want?"

Tatenashi gave a nonchalant shrug. "Ara, relax just for once, boys, I proposed to have you fight each other as a final event to end the sports festival, I'll explain the rules."

"You what?" Liu questioned. "That's not written on the list."

Ichika didn't know how to respond as Tatenashi folded her fan, giggling at the dumbstruck boys.

"I want to recreate a famous scene from a movie called Ip Man," Tatenashi said. "I'm sure you have seen it, right Liu?"

Liu had seen the film, but Ichika had no clue what she was talking about.

"What about it, Tatenashi?" Liu questioned the Student Council President.

"I have prepared a one on one fight between you and Liu bare handed WITHOUT using your personal IS. The rules are simple: if either of you surrender or unable to battle, the match is over with the last man standing."

Keywords without using personal IS shocked the boys. Recreating a dangerous scene made it worse for them. Because they're used to fighting with their personal IS, taking it away means stripping away their fighting sources.

"Fuck that," Liu said. "I'm not fulfilling your request to fight him bare hand."

Ichika couldn't agree with Liu's statement. "I don't understand what makes it great to see us fight?"

As expected, the cat knew the boys would reject her offer. Tatenashi giggled seeing their scowled expressions.

"Ah poo, you two are nothing but weaklings. Even though you endured tough times till now, it's still not enough to call yourselves stronger than last time."

These words triggered the boys in an instant. Ichika despised being called weak, especially Tatenashi when they first met. Liu didn't take it kindly either ever since he lost to Tatenashi in a fight. Liu's left fist clenched that he wanted to break Tatenashi's nose for her remark.

"You fucking chink," Liu said in a murderous tone. "I ought to break your face right now…"

Ichika felt the anger from the Chinese dragon, and he was also not happy.

"You just don't know when to take a break," Ichika folded his arms. "Sorry, but we're not fighting each other for the sake of ending the sports festival."

Tatenashi wasn't fazed at all because she had another trick up her sleeve to make them fight one way or the other.

"Fine, guess I'll have to find other people to replace you. After all, Ichika, you invited me to your room to do perverted things to me. I'm sure the girls won't be mad if I tell them again, hm~?"

Ichika's eyes widened in shock that Tatenashi still remembered the incident, and nearly received a divine punishment from Houki. Clearly, Tatenashi started it, not him. Tatenashi liked to see the looks on his face as she turned to Liu.

"Let's not forget you lost against me in a fight that I won't have to be your personal trainer. Would you like me to tell everyone you lost to a Student Council President, even though the boy used his IS and lost to a bare hand fighter?"

"Bullshit! I did not use my IS to fight you," Liu retorted. "You're telling fables on us to make it sound believable for the girls."

"Precisely," Tatenashi replied, "You're still weaklings that can't beat me in a fight. Just admit it, and get with the program, or I'll tell everyone right now~"

The boys were horrified of Tatenashi's threatening messages that were true. Refusing to fight each other could mean humiliation, or worse, being pummeled by the girls, especially Houki and Rin. Tatenashi locked the boys that they can't disobey her request.

"I have a counter offer," Liu retorted, walking towards Tatenashi. "Let's turn your head upside down-!"

Ichika realized Liu was going to fight Tatenashi, and quickly reacted by holding him back. He knows they'll be in trouble if they strike the Student Council President. Liu tried to break free as Tatenashi giggled that irritated them even more.

"Nuh uh uh, that'll have you two grounded. I suggest you be good boys, and accept my offer. There's a new set of clothes in the locker. Everyone will be there to watch you boys slug it out. Good luck~"

Tatenashi got away again that got the boys no choice but to fight each other. At the locker room, Liu and Ichika saw their new outfits, and slightly shuddered at Tatenashi's scheme.

"When Tatenashi said she wanted to recreate a scene, this is what she really mean…" said Liu, holding a black ancient Mandarin robe. Ichika shuddered, holding a white karate gi with his kanji printed on the black belt.

"Is this what I'm supposed to wear?"

Liu nodded, knowing that he has seen Ip Man, a famous biographical martial arts film. Liu sigh that Tatenashi wanted them to recreate a famous scene. Fearing for Ichika's lack of instructions given, Liu felt obliged to help him out.

"This won't be pretty because you'll be playing the bad guy, and I'm portrayed as the good guy."

Even though Ichika never heard of the famous film, he understood small hint of words Liu gave out, and shuddered.

"She can't be serious!" Ichika protested. "Tatenashi has gone overboard with this…"

"Me too, but you know what happens if we refuse? It's better to let our fists and feet do the talking than have the girls whip our asses from Tatenashi's fables."

A few minutes of silence, the boys went to their separate rooms to change their new outfits. Ichika came out with the karate gi, resembling a Shotokan karate master. Liu appeared in a black Mandarin robe, resembling the attractive version of Ip Man. Before Ichika opened the door, Liu grabbed him by the shoulder.

"If I were you, don't go outside with that outfit of yours," Liu warned the latter. "Girls will chase us to no end like we're celebrities."

Ichika looked at his gi, then at Liu. "You make a point, but we'll be safe inside the hallways because all of the girls are outside to see the sports festival."

The boys took a casual walk around the empty hallways. They enjoyed the silence to ease their nerves before the final event.

"Ichika," Liu said, breaking the silence. "I'm not looking forward to fight you, but whatever you do, don't hold back."

Ichika was caught by surprise. "I don't like the sound of it, but I can't hurt you."

"Me too, but it's the only way to not face the wrath of the girls should they hear Tatenashi."

Liu and Ichika continued to walk around, calming their minds while the event was still going strong with a sea of girls screaming and cheering. Even though Liu and Ichika barely hang out, they get along just fine as he warned Ichika of Tatenashi's schemes.

"Thanks, Liu for the warning," Ichika scratched his head. "If it weren't for you, I would have turned into a wooden dummy."

Liu chuckled as they look through the large windows of the event. Suddenly, a siren blared out that nearly shook the boys.

"Final contestants please report to the Stadium immediately," said Tatenashi via intercom. "I repeat, report to the Stadium immediately."

The final event was about to begin in the middle of a sunset, giving a colorful setting to the atmosphere. All the classmates gathered around the Stadium that had a makeshift scene of an ancient battlefield. Four wooden pillars stood on the corners of each side. The decoration included Ichika's face and name on banners and flags around the battlefield.

On the podium, Tatenashi stood proudly of her creation with Kanzashi by her side. Large speakers surrounded the podium while Kanzashi had songs on her iPhone 5S related to the film. Kanzashi played Ip Man Soundtrack Four - Arrogance to set the introduction of the fight. The girls, Mattheus and Joel sat front row seats, wondering where Liu and Ichika could have gone.

"Any of you seen the boys?" Charlotte questioned the girls, who in return, shrugged with no answer.

"Tatenashi, you always have something to pull off a stunt like this," Mattheus said, folding his arms.

Tatenashi opened her fan that snapped immediately to stop the commotion, given on how she controlled the audience.

"This day has been very successful with everyone giving their best to showcase their talent," Tatenashi said on her microphone. "What you're about to witness is a finale to conclude the sports festival. Two competitors in this very ring will outdo each other in hand to hand combat without using personal IS. Without further or do, let's give our welcoming hands to Ichika Orimura and Liu King-Sang!"

Less than three seconds, the crowd went frenzy, especially hearing Ichika as the final competitor. Given he's the most popular male student the girls cheered their lungs out to beat Liu with two punches to the head. On the left corner, Ichika walked towards the stage, waving his hands at his friends. Mattheus and Joel were stunned at his appearance that left them speechless. Houki was caught off guard while Laura grinned at her 'bride.'

"Tatenashi didn't tell us this," Cecilia said in confusion.

"Yeah, that was not on the list," Rin replied, folding her arms. "This fight will be anything but a friendly match."

In a seiza position, Ichika didn't appear surprised of the decorations dedicated to him. Ichika was focused to fight Liu while he patiently waited. Few seconds later, Liu calmly walked towards the stage. The two made eye contact, and bowed before getting into battle positions, and Ichika's knuckles cracked silently. No trash talk hurled, silence took over the fight between the boys.

 _I'm not holding back, Ichika, prepare yourself._

In Ichika's mind, he was also ready to slug it out.

 _No backing out, and I'm not going easy you on either._

The boys stare at each other, anticipating their moves for good whole fifteen seconds. To match the fighting atmosphere, Kanzashi played Ip Man Soundtrack 21 – Going Under. Ichika started with a double jump front kick, launching like a rocket. Liu blocked the sweeping upward kick before Ichika threw a spinning back kick. He parried in time, and Liu didn't expect Ichika using kicks in the beginning. The fight couldn't get more real with Ichika throwing barrage of punches.

Liu quickly blocked the meteorite punches while he simultaneously threw punches. Ichika used overwhelming strength to break Liu's defense. Ichika noticed his punches didn't score a hit as he threw a ridge hand strike. Liu ducked, and struck Ichika with tiger claws.

The twin jab stung Ichika like sharp paws scratched his cheeks. Ichika shook it off as he readjusted his composure. Liu moved his hands in a circular movement as a warning he means business. Ichika performed a jumping side kick, followed by a double round kick. His right feet jabbed Liu's forearms as Ichika used a crescent kick, jump kick, and front kick.

Ichika's powerful kicks pushed Liu back that his left foot was on the edge of the platform. Thinking he has the advantage, Ichika threw a straight punch, but Liu leaned back, grabbed his wrist, and kicked him in the stomach. Unfazed from the weak jab, the boys launched furious punches, kick while they simultaneously block with forearms and elbows. Like professional martial artists, they were going at it from basic to advanced strikes without a slipup. Ichika's powerful kicks ward off Liu's tiger claws up close, much to his dismay.

They both seem equally matched, with both being able to deliver blows to each other. The crowd went crazy every time Ichika scored hits at the Chinese boy. Liu struck a few hits, but he got too close that allowed Ichika to sweep his left leg, and threw him over the shoulder. The Judo throw caught Liu off guard that his spine slammed onto the hard wooden tiles with a deafening thud. Before Liu can get back up, Ichika stomp kicked him that knocked his sense momentarily, and Ichika performed a side snap kick to the chest.

Liu gasped for air from Ichika's kick as he used rising punch, his signature move. What appeared to be the end, Liu stepped forward at a 45 degree angle with his right feet first, then spun around with a kick to the chin. Ichika suffered a devastating blow that disoriented him from the initial shock to the system. The crowd gasped that they thought Ichika secured the match, but it wasn't over yet.

"No way!" Yuko exclaimed. "No one could have avoided Ichika's Sunday punch."

Cecilia and the others were surprised at Liu's lucky shot where it's nearly impossible to avoid the knockout blow. Ichika furiously threw punches and round kicks while Liu parried the strikes. Ichika attempted to use spring hip throw, but Liu wasn't falling for it again, and retaliated with swift punches to the solar plexus. Liu finished with an open palm strike to the chin. Ichika aimed to even the score with a triple punch, but Liu's punches were faster, rendering his counter useless.

Ichika threw a close short punch, but his range fell short by Liu's twin fist by raising his entire arm to strike his head while the other to the solar plexus. The result was a punch shaped like a U.

"What was that?" Joel said, trying to remember the techniques.

Ichika thought he had the winning advantage, but Liu's diverse techniques did him in. Ichika threw a hook, and Liu grabbed his left leg to lift him up. Ichika tried to break free, but Liu slammed him to the ground. Liu held his fists vertical to unleash chain punch to the face. Ichika quickly deflected against the bombardment strikes as Liu continued to pummel him.

 _Oh no, I can't go on like this! Got to think something to turn it around!_

Thinking fast, Ichika grabbed Liu's right leg to throw him off balance, but that didn't stop Liu from throwing punches as Ichika was taking more damage. Ichika kicked him in the face twice to break free. Ichika earned a scratch on his forehead while Liu received a battered mouth. The boys were bruised, but that didn't stop them from fighting. Liu executed a spinning heel kick, and the force of the impact made Ichika staggering.

Ichika can't lose, especially in front of the girls and his male companions. In return, Ichika spun around to utilize a circular falling kick. Unfortunately, Liu saw an opening, and countered with a front kick to the butt.

No matter how hard Ichika tried to hit Liu, his attacks were rejected by Liu's faster strikes.

"Come on, Ichika!" Shizune shouted at her class hero. "You can't lose to this guy!"

The tables have turned with Ichika on the defense as Liu continued his assault. Liu kicked him towards the wooden pillar, threw a straight, and a hook before pummeling his chest. Somehow, Ichika countered with a hook, and turned around to execute a kneeling shoulder drop. Liu punched him repeatedly to release the grip, and threw him down. Liu locked Ichika's leg to prevent him from escaping as he grabbed his face, and punched him.

"Do you tap out?" Liu said, hoping to end it right away.

"No!"

Liu punched him again with greater force every time Ichika didn't surrender.

"Do you tap out?!" Liu warned, punching Ichika.

"NO!" Ichika yelled, refusing to lose to a Chinese boy.

"TAP OUT?!"

"NO!"

Liu didn't want to do it, but Ichika should have listened to his warning. Ichika elbowed Liu that forced him to knock Ichika out. The knuckles stabbed Ichika's cheekbone so hard it left a dark red bruise. The match was over with Ichika lying face down unconscious as Liu panted from the brutal fight. The crowd couldn't believe Liu made a comeback because they thought Ichika dominated the fight.

When Ichika regained consciousness, Liu offered his hand as a sign of sportsmanship. Despite the injuries Ichika received, he smiled, and grabbed Liu's hand. Even though the crowd wanted Ichika to win, they clapped at the fighters that fought brave, and showed good sportsmanship. Normally, the girls would not appreciate Ichika's loss, but his improvement of close combat skills impressed them as they smiled.

"Great show, you two!" Tatenashi clapped her hands, leaping off the podium. The battered boys groaned at Tatenashi's dangerous scheme that could have got them seriously injured.

"Never again going to listen to you…!" Liu pointed at Tatenashi. Ichika nodded at his companion, wiping small blood on his lips. Tatenashi tried to take Ichika away to do lewd things, and Houki partial deployed Akatsubaki, pointing her katana.

"I don't think so…" Houki said in a murderous tone. "Back up right now, or I'll slice you into ribbons."

Tatenashi wasn't scared of Houki's threat as blew a kiss out before walking away, much to the embarrassment of Ichika. The boys nodded as they walked towards the infirmary to treat their injuries. The girls, Mattheus and Joel tagged along to help the boys out. The girls won't bother them too much from the brutal fight.

"Are you all right?" Ichika questioned Liu that was clutching his head in pain.

Liu gave a thumbs up, smiling at his fellow male IS pilot. The boys did a fantastic job fighting each other with well executed techniques. They can learn a thing or two of learning new moves. The sports festival was finally over that ended with a bang.

* * *

The fight between Liu and Ichika was heavily inspired by Ip Man, primarily the final scene. Shouts out to TalonAlpha3 for providing some ideas to conclude the sports festival, and make the boys fight each other. Much appreciated from you!


	22. Tell Me How You Really Feel

**Time: 11:32PM – Phantom Task Hideout**

"Squall, we're ready on your command," said the Lion leader, gearing up her equipment. Her real name was a secret as she goes by her code name Behemoth. She was a tall woman with dark blue, medium-length hair and golden eyes. Behemoth has the appearance of a bishounen. Cold, silent, and devoid of emotion, Behemoth is a ruthless operative.

After inspecting her equipment, Behemoth wore her black lion balaclava and tactical goggles to conceal her identity, and strapped her ballistic helmet. Behemoth and her 17-man squad named Butcher wait for further directions. What stood out from her male operatives was Behemoth's helmet had a blood red mane to indicate her status as a leader. The time has come to rescue Autumn at IS Academy, and Squall wasn't afraid to debut her elite squad, Lion.

"Behemoth, Autumn is held captive in the interrogation room," Squall said on her intercom. "Details are with you, and for safety measures, Rain will assist you to keep away unwanted visitors. Oh, and do come back in one piece."

Behemoth typed a few words on her wrist that had a built in computer. The holograph projected the blueprint of IS Academy, and the location of Autumn. The Lion will use any means necessary to accomplish their first objective. At the garage, Behemoth and her men approached the duo Blue Velvet Metallic Chevy Suburban. Five operatives went inside the SUV while Behemoth and three men hang on the sides. The remaining operatives filled up in the second SUV.

Rain appeared in her personal Crusher Orange SRT Viper TA. The American cars roared as the driver opened the garage door.

"It's go time," Rain said, shifting to first gear. "Baby Autumn needs our hand~"

Rain, Behemoth and her pack drove towards their destination to IS Academy, where they will hit hard to rescue Autumn.

* * *

 **Time: 12:50AM – Tabane's Lab**

Tabane hummed as she typed furiously on her computer until she found something interesting.

"Ahh, I see. How interesting, that's where he is!" Tabane said in a child-like tone. Tabane remained the same as usual with her dorky smile when she received a message from Chloe.

"Miss Tabane, the bread is ready," said Chloe via intercom.

"Yum yum yum, okie dokie~!"

Tabane turned off the computer as her custom motorized chair transported her. On the top floor, Chloe had a small table with snacks and tea. Tabane arrived on time to see the delicious snacks Chloe prepared for her.

"Tada! Here I am~!" Tabane waved like a little child. "Ooh, the bread smells scrum-diddly-umptious!"

As Tabane ate the bread, she became happy with the sweet bakery while Chloe maintained her composure.

"So Chloe, I was wondering if you could do me a tiny favor~"

"Yes, of course, ma'am."

Tabane pouted when Chloe was being too formal. "C'mon, you don't need to be so stiff! You may call me mama!"

"Sorry, mama," Chloe told her.

Tabane said, "Anyways, about the favor…ooohhh!"

Tabane stopped her sentence as she grabbed a sponge cake, and gobbled like a hamster while Chloe sigh at her master.

"This is so…awesome! I need you to make the special delivery for me."

"My pleasure," Chloe replied.

* * *

 **Time: 12:17PM – Cafeteria**

At the mess hall, Rin and Charlotte sat at a round table while Rin was bored to death playing her drink straw. Rin wished Ichika or Liu would be here right now, and Charlotte saw her expression.

"I don't feel like doing anything," Rin said.

Charlotte grinned, saying, "It's because Ichika or Liu aren't here, isn't it?"

Rin froze, her face a mask of disbelief.

"Huh? Wh-what? N-no it isn't! That won't matter if they're here or not."

Charlotte smiled like an angel with a hint of sarcasm. "Sure, if you say so."

Rin nodded, stubborn, nursing her boredom. Today was peaceful without a commotion from the mess hall because most of the students were out today for a vacation.

"Anyway, our personal IS are in repair thanks to Phantom Task that tried to kill us at Kyoto, and I hate the fact that we can't use our IS while they're on personal lock mode."

Rin frowned at Shenlong embedded onto her wrist as Charlotte sipped tea.

Charlotte said, "Ichika's unit is out for maintenance, too, so is Liu's unit."

"Jeezus," said Rin, looking towards the sunny afternoon. "They better come back soon."

Rin wished Ichika or Liu would return as soon as possible to cure her boredom while she continued to stare at the sky. Rin didn't realize Charlotte smiled at her as she hid her blush, trying to act like she wasn't hiding something.

"Wh-what?! It's not like I'm lonely or anything!" Rin protested as Charlotte giggled seeing her flustered expression.

Before Charlotte opened her mouth, the lights went out that caught them off guard, and the Academy was put on lockdown. Rin and Charlotte looked around to figure out why the power went out.

"Hey, Charlotte," said Rin, looking for power source. "You don't think…"

"Yeah, the emergency power and lights aren't turning on, something's up."

By then, Rin and Charlotte received an urgent message from Chifuyu because the power outage didn't happen by a natural cause.

"First year students with personal units gather at the underground special block immediately. I'll send you the coordinates."

On the other hand, Mattheus and Joel turned on the lights, but nothing happened as the boys sensed something was not right until they received a message from Chifuyu.

"I suspect someone tampered the security systems. Head to the interrogation room, and be on guard duty, Autumn might try to pull a fast one."

The boys gathered their firearms as they head to the interrogation room while the staff kept her eye out on Autumn. When Autumn was not watched, she sent the coordinates to Squall on her phone in order to be rescued.

* * *

Ichika stood outside of Kuramochi Research to have Byakushiki repaired from the previous battle Phantom Task caused. While he went inside the maintenance room littered with high tech machines, it was dark, and empty as hell. Ichika turned around to see a woman with curly hair and narrow eyes covered by swimming goggles. Her appearance was unusual as she wore a blue IS suit, large bust, white lab coat, and fuzzy pink slippers.

"Hey there, pretty boy! Want to get down and dirty at my room?" The woman said in a seductive tone as she groped the former's butt for the fun of it.

"EEEEPPPP!" Ichika yelped at the perverted scientist. "Why did you do that?"

The woman laughed, removing her goggles. "You're Orimura, correct?"

Ichika nodded. "Yeah, and you are…?"

"I'm Kagaribi Hikaruno, the director of Kuramochi Research Center, come with me so I can repair Byakushiki."

Hikaruno scanned Byakushiki while she read the data from the IS unit. Even though Byakushiki appeared fine without exterior damages, Hikaruno didn't think so looking at the data.

"Looks like it's been through hell and back," Hikaruno said, typing her computer. "It'll probably be faster if we do the maintenance here."

"Will it take long?"

"Of course it will!" Hikaruno threw a fishing rod to Ichika to keep him occupied. "Go out fishing or do something fun, there's plenty of fish at the nearby river."

* * *

 **Time: 12:46PM – Underground Base**

The girls gathered around at a room they have never seen in their entire life. By then, Chifuyu, Maya, and Kanzashi were in the control room to assess the damage.

"Allow me to explain the situation. At this moment, all of the Academy's systems are down. In English, we're being hacked by an unknown third party."

Maya jumped in. "None of the students have been harmed yet, but we have to regain control of the system, no matter what. You'll have to dive into the system's virtual reality by the IS Core Network."

Cecilia gasped hearing Maya's explanations. The girls have never done something like this like they're going into cyber warfare. "J-jump into the system?"

"So we'll have to bypass the IS' pilot nervous system protection, and investigate the network as our virtual selves?" Laura questioned Chifuyu.

"I know it's theoretically possible, but…"

Chifuyu wasted no time explaining the objective as she clapped her hands once to begin the mission.

"Teams, stand by! Prepare for mission launch."

"Roger!"

The girls lie down on the bed to infiltrate the virtual system. Kanzashi set the countdown for the girls before their consciousness were warped into the virtual system. With the girls knocked out, Chifuyu closed her eyes for another objective to complete.

"Now then…I have a different assignment for you two."

Tatenashi and Liu stood next to each other, waiting for directions. Liu slung a QCW-05 with extra clips on his waist.

"What are your orders?"

"There's a high possibility hostile forces are on the way here to search for the unmanned IS core."

Liu nodded as Tatenashi listened to the Brunhilde. "You want us to eliminatemthem?"

"Correct," Chifuyu replied. "The others can't fight right now. Sorry, but the only backup you'll have is Liu. That shouldn't be a problem at all."

Liu didn't get along with Tatenashi, but due to the dire situation, he had to put aside his differences to help Tatenashi drive out unwanted enemies. As Liu cocked his Mac-11, Tatenashi put away her fan in battle mode.

"Liu, be careful out there," Chifuyu warned the Chinese boy.

No jokes around when someone hacked the Academy, and Chifuyu was serious when she warned Liu. The last thing Chifuyu wanted to hear was carrying a body bag from the gang.

Meanwhile in the virtual system…

The girls appeared in an outer space with five white doors as they look around in confusion. This is the virtual system, and it couldn't get more real.

"What is this?" Cecilia questioned. "Are we supposed to go in?"

"Most likely so," Kanzashi replied. "The signal's unstable up ahead, and you'll be on your own."

Without hesitation, the girls went inside the doors that lead them to an unknown adventure. Once the doors were closed, Chloe echoed through the virtual system.

"World Purge. Commerce."

While the girls were in the virtual system, Ichika enjoyed the serenity away from the Academy. Ichika waited to get a nibble as he smelled the fresh air. However, that came to an end when Hikaruno caught a fish with a spear.

"Ehh? Can't keep up with the energy of teenage girls?" Hikaruno taunted Ichika, cooking the fishes they caught.

"Have you heard of the IS Core Network?"

As Hikaruno crawled towards Ichika in a seductive manner, Ichika turned his head away from her giant bust.

"It's…based on the communications protocol that they use for space missions. A virtual reality where every IS is connected, right?"

"Yup, more or less," Hikaruno replied. "That's how your Byakushiki gets data from things like your sister's Kurezakura and its One Off Ability, or how it replicates the Shiroshiki's abilities."

Ichika slightly frowned at the perverted scientist eating the cooked fish as Hikaruno grinned at her knowledge in IS.

"My job is to augment IS units that gain new abilities and such."

At a seemingly empty classroom, Rin had her face down on a desk. When she woke up, Rin found herself at her old middle school. Something was not right because Rin already graduated middle school, and there's no way she's back in her old school instantly.

"What's this? Hey, where the hell am I? Hold on, this is my middle school uniform!" Rin exclaimed, looking at her dark sailor uniform until Ichika opened the door in his school uniform. What Rin doesn't realize was she's in her dream world with the ideal Ichika she wanted.

"Rin! Hey babe," Ichika said, smiling at his crush.

"I-Ichika?!" Rin was caught by surprise. "Wh-what is it?"

"Can I swing by at your place?" Ichika asked Rin. "You know, since we're dating and such."

Rin was loss of words at Ichika's request to come to her place. Then again, this was Rin's ideal Ichika without the dense head. Ichika leaned towards the Chinese girl with a smile.

"Is that okay, Ling?"

Rin blushed as she looked at her desk. "Y-yeah."

The couple ran holding their books above their heads as umbrellas from the rainy afternoon. Apparently, they have not thought of checking the weather forecast carefully since they didn't bring an umbrella. Rin and Ichika arrived at Rin's restaurant to catch their breaths.

"Oh man, it poured out of nowhere," Ichika frowned at his soaked clothes.

"For real," Rin replied, drenched from the rain. "Jeez, I'm soaked to the bone!"

While Rin wriggled off the water, Ichika mopped her head with a towel to dry her hair.

"Let me dry you off."

"Oh…thanks," Rin's voice trailed off by her crush until Ichika had another idea to set things off.

"Hey, Rin. Let me get the rest of your body," said Ichika. Rin can appreciate the help she got, but when Ichika wanted to take it further, Rin's eyes widened in disbelief, and threw the towel at his face.

"Are you out of your mind?!"

Ichika didn't seem offended, chuckling at Rin hiding in the corner. After all, they're dating without the girls snooping around. As Rin thought back, she was ready to change her mind.

"I-I guess it's okay…for now," Rin muttered, holding her chest. Rin's last statement might bite back because she didn't take the warning of be careful what you wish for.

"Or how about we take a shower together?"

"Ahh! In your dreams, you pervert!"

Rin ran to her room, panting from her new world that seemed too real with Ichika as her boyfriend. This was what Rin asked for and her desires shaped it all. As Rin was halfway through removing her underwear, Ichika opened the door without knocking. The last thing Rin wanted was a partial nude Ichika barging in her room.

"AAAAHHHH!?"

Rin's mouth opened in shock seeing Ichika wearing nothing but a towel around his waist, complimented with his trained body like an athlete. However, her butt was exposed to his face, and her underwear lowered to her knees didn't help at all.

"I'm done with the shower," said Ichika nonchalantly.

"KYAAAAHHH!" Rin screamed in horror, punching and slapping Ichika that didn't bother to fight back against her.

"IDIOT, IDIOT, PERVERT, PERVERT, INDECENT, INDECENT!"

Rin continued to pummel Ichika in many ways until her fists were bruised, and Ichika gently held her arms down, hugging her from behind.

"…"

Rin's heartbeat can be heard as it grew louder like speakers thumping bass. Rin's mind scrambled being kissed by her crush.

"I want you," said Ichika with a sweet voice, kissing Rin from behind.

"Ah…ah…ah…"

Ichika gently set Rin onto her bed like a newborn cat, licking her neck and head.

"Nn…!"

Rin tried to resist, but her body acted against her will to be glued onto the bed. Ichika slowly stripped her sailor uniform, staring at her breasts covered by the bra, much to the embarrassment of Rin.

"You're pretty. I'm going to take it off…" Ichika whispered.

"I-Ichika…"

Chifuyu donned a black ninja-like body suit and bundled her hair tightly. Chifuyu inserted six katanas into the holster on her thighs, resembling a modern Samurai.

"Hmph, it's been a while since I've done my hair like this," said Chifuyu, wielding IS blades on both hands. The door opened as Chifuyu stepped into the hallway with ray of light trailing down.

"Game on."

At the empty corridor that shined light through the gaping holes, Tatenashi in her IS suit leaned against the wall. Liu grabbed ammo clips for his Mac-11 to his waist, and took an extra magazine for safety measure. So far, they have not picked up enemies, but what Liu didn't know was the enemies were invisible using a cloaking device. Tatenashi grinned when she picked up a trespassing warning, and thick fog emitted the hallway.

Tatenashi giggled that startled the invisible armed soldiers as Liu hid behind the pillars, ready to take action.

"Well, hello there, boys," Tatenashi announced, revealing her fan that said 'welcome.' "I wonder have you been watching us 24/7?"

In response, six soldiers fired their CA-415 at Tatenashi and Liu fitted with unique metallic bullets. But they fell stopped in front of her by a barrier, and Tatenashi grinned.

"Too bad for you, this is an Active Inertia Canceler," Tatenashi chuckled in the midst of the flames, showing the image of a villain. "Boom goes the dynamite~"

Tatenashi clicked her thumb, and immediately, a chain of large explosions engulfed the corridor, incinerating the soldiers' cloaking device into ashes. The soldiers weren't harmed, but their pride of being stealthy was greatly damaged.

"So, how did you like my Clear Passion?" Tatenashi said. "I love things like this. Hit it, Liu!"

* * *

On the other side of the virtual system, Cecilia was at her mansion working on her touch screen computer. A busy day for an upper class lady as Cecilia rang her bell to call her butler. A delightful sound echoed the room, and three seconds later, the door opened.

"You ranged for me, madam?" Ichika bowed politely to Cecilia.

"Mmmm! It's just the two of us alone together," Cecilia pouted, folding her arms. "You know what you're supposed to do."

"Hahahaha, I'm so sorry, Cecilia."

 _The Orimuras have served the Alcotts for generations. The two families have been together. Wait! Together…forever?_

Cecilia thought back as the picture of her and Chelsea was replaced by Ichika instead. Right away, Cecilia knew what's going on.

 _Yes, this is comfortable like we're isolated from the rest of the world. I want to last in this place forever…forever._

At her luxurious bathroom, Cecilia took off her clothes as water filled up the bathtub with rose pedals as a decoration. She couldn't wait for the special treatment she's about to receive from Ichika.

"Cecilia, can I come in?"

"Go ahead!"

Ichika removed his butler suit as he gently washed Cecilia's back with soap and aroma oil. The sweet scent filled the bathroom as Cecilia moaned quietly from the gentle hands rubbing on her back. When Ichika rubbed Cecilia's rear end, he leaned in closer to her ear.

"Cecilia, did your butt get bigger?" Ichika teased.

"Eh? You might want to check that again."

"Oh you naughty girl," Ichika bit her ear lobe, causing the English girl to ooze in delight, falling backwards as Ichika caught her gently.

"I'm going to wash the front side."

Cecilia nodded, hypnotized from her man's looks that captivated her.

While Cecilia bathed herself in the ideal world, she wasn't the only one desired for luxury. Charlotte in a maid suit cleaned the window for the wealthy Orimura family at a huge mansion. Ichika in a fancy bathrobe picked up a mop, and revealed Charlotte's translucent lingerie with laces on the side.

"Bonjour!" Ichika said in a French accent.

"Aah! You scared me, Ichika," Charlotte squealed, covering her skirt in embarrassment.

"Sorry, you're wearing naughty underwear again, Charlotte?"

"T-that's because…my master instructed me to wear this for him."

Charlotte looked down in shame from her master's order while Ichika grinned at the French maid.

"Just remember in one week, you'll call me husband, not master, hohoho."

"But I'm not your wife yet," Charlotte replied. "I'm still your maid."

Blushing at her 'master', Charlotte tried to hide it, but Ichika saw it crystal clear. Who knew Charlotte's dreams would be a maid serving for the Orimura family?

"Aah, you must obey your master's orders, am I right?"

"Oui! Of course!"

Ichika gently swooped Charlotte bridal princess style, causing the French girl to laugh in delight by her ideal man. Without using much effort, Ichika's charm and French voice captivated Charlotte.

"Looks like I caught myself a very cute maid," said Ichika, stroking Charlotte's chin like a kitty.

While Ichika carried Charlotte to his bedroom, he set her down on a large bed with a canopy over it. As her heart beat like a drum, Charlotte knew what was going to happen with her hands by her side.

 _Could it mean…that it's finally going to happen?_

As Charlotte closed his eyes to lose her shell before marriage, a pure white wedding dress gently fell onto her hands.

"Ah, this is!"

"Correct, would you put it on, Charlotte?"

Charlotte blushed happily staring at Ichika and her wedding dress, and nodded without hesitation. Turning her back, Charlotte slowly unloosened the tie to try on her wedding dress as she talked to herself.

"Charlotte, when you are married, you are going to do this every day."

Too bad for the French girl, Charlotte said it too loud that aroused Ichika in excitement, and jumped.

"Oh yes, mon cheri! Every single day!"

Charlotte was startled by Ichika, blushing in embarrassment as she held her hands together.

"D-did I said that out loud?! Oohhh…"

"Hoho! And twice on Sunday~"

* * *

Liu fired his Mac-11 at the soldiers as they dive for cover while Tatenashi gracefully did a backflip to find cover. The Student Council President skillfully dodged the gunfire as she incapacitated the soldiers with acrobatic kicks. Liu fired his machine pistol at the soldiers targeting Tatenashi that allowed him to score direct hits with ease.

Those that got shot ran for cover while the others unleashed massive gunfire at the feline and dragon. Liu switched to his QCW-05 to return fire at the enemies. Liu took a step forward for a close up kill shot, but at that moment, an enemy shot Liu in the chest twice.

"AAGGHH!" Liu cried in pain, covering his chest.

"Liu!" Tatenashi yelled, throwing the enemy face down.

Liu gunned down the last enemy shot his Kevlar bulletproof vest.

"I'm alright!" Liu shouted.

Tatenashi approached Liu as he pulled himself from the ground. The thought of getting shot at increased his adrenaline, and Liu revealed the bulletproof vest that saved his life. Tatenashi punched the enemy in the liver, and Liu gunned him down.

"Jeez, these intruders have no manners," Tatenashi sighed at the fallen enemies.

"Just who the hell are those guys?" Liu questioned the slouched bodies.

A woman in a Navy Blue IS, Fang Quake moved forward in the pitch-black passage. First sign was it had no decorations, insignia to identify nationality. The woman had a name, but it was long forgotten that she doesn't remember her name; along with her unnamed men they invaded the Academy. Their primary objective was to steal the unregistered IS core. Her sensors picked up a person in front of her as she used the hovers of Fang Quake to stop her advance.

The person was Chifuyu dressed in black with katanas on her side, grinning at the 'Leader.'

"Now…"

In a flash, Chifuyu charged with two swords on her hands, and swung at Fang Quake.

 _Are you serious?_

The Leader did not expect to see Chifuyu wearing a body suit that resembled a diving suit with light armor pads. Chifuyu grinned at the speechless American IS pilot because she'll battle her without an IS. Some may say it's crazy, but for Chifuyu, she does what's best.

"You better be ready to bring it, bitch because what you're seeing is the original Brunhilde. I'm the first woman to attain the title of Mondo Grosso champion. So you better give this everything you got, soldier."

Chifuyu smirked as her face showed the relaxed mood of an overpowered person.

Laura in her Schwarzer Hase uniform sat on a chair sipping hot cocoa with milk. Laura bought a house not too large for herself and her bride Ichika. While Laura waited for her breakfast to arrive, Ichika turned around with a grin.

"It's done!" said Ichika, holding a plate of omelet rice made with love. "Do you like?"

Dressed in an apron, Laura smiled at Ichika that made her a delicious meal.

"Oooh! Oh, das sieht lecker aus! You're such a good bride."

"Today's your day off, ya?" said Ichika in a German accent, removing his apron. "This is why I wanted to cash this in."

Ichika calmly pulled out a Schwarzer Hase favor card drawn by Laura in a cartoonish style. Laura coughed from her hot cocoa when Ichika wanted to use this card that allowed him to ask any favor.

"But that is…"

Ichika winked to make his point across, causing the German girl to fluster while she attempted to keep her composure.

"Mmmmm…what are you going to ask me to do then?"

"Well, you know…wear just an apron?"

Laura immediately spat her drink in disgust, and glared at her bride that would ask such a preposterous favor. Then again, the favor card says it all, "We shall never deny Ichika's favors, even the most ridiculous request."

"Stop being such an idiot! Who'll do such a thing?!"

As Laura poked her head over the table to close in Ichika, he kissed her on the forehead. Blood rushed in her head, and Laura blushed like a cherry. One kiss was enough to calm down the German girl as Laura simmered her anger.

"For me, Laura."

Few minutes later, Laura stepped out of her room to reveal a white apron on her body, and a heart eyepatch.

"I-is this alright?" said Laura quietly.

"You're so cute, Laura!" Ichika exclaimed.

"Shut up, shut up, shut up, now!" Laura shouted in embarrassment.

Tatenashi assessed the damage to see why the enemies invaded the Academy in the first place.

"They're Americans for sure," said Tatenashi. "There was a gap between them getting here and the system going down, though…why wasn't it simultaneous? Are the hackers a different party?"

"Tatenashi, you don't tell anyone that happened! Ever!" Liu commanded Tatenashi after the shootout. Tatenashi turned her back, but they didn't notice the surviving enemy fired his Beretta 90two and shot Tatenashi in the abdomen, tumbling her forward.

"Tatenashi!"

Liu shot and killed the enemy before rushing to Tatenashi's aid. As he carried Tatenashi over his shoulder, more enemies appeared firing hail of bullets.

"Ichika! We need help!" Liu shouted, struggling to return fire at the enemies.

Ichika sensed an SOS at the Academy as he put his coffee and boarded Byakushiki.

"O-oi!"

"Sorry, but I have to go back to the Academy, now," Ichika replied. "No time for the front door!"

Ichika activated his particle cannon and blew up the wall in front of him, using Ignition Boost to accelerate away.

"Kids these days…" Hikaruno muttered, revealing a bewitching smile. "Well, I got the data I needed, so this will do. We can start the next generation's mass production."

 **GAGINK!**

Chifuyu traded blows with the Leader as she dodged the attacks gracefully like a gymnast. Chifuyu threw a katana, and the leader swiped it away, sending the katana flying upwards.

"I think you've done enough."

"Those American special forces of yours must have a lot of spare time on their hands," Chifuyu replied, pointing her katana at the Leader. "Considering you came all the way to a school from a remote island. The unregistered IS core isn't the only thing you're after."

Chifuyu drew another katana from her thigh sheath, curling her lips and gave a smirk.

"But too bad for you, Byakushiki has been moved to a new location."

The Leader gritted her teeth slightly at the Brunhilde taunting her. Chifuyu had the nerve to taunt her opponent in an intense situation; especially the fact Chifuyu doesn't have an IS. Yet, she kept the Leader under control with her own skills.

"Hold on, if you know that, then why do-"

Swoosh, swoosh, Chifuyu swung the katanas on both sides and got into position for an attack.

"Hmph, a flesh and blood human is no match for an IS, right?"

Chifuyu leapt forward and swung at Fang Quake, knocking her off balance. "Maybe an average human."

The Leader fired her P90 at Chifuyu as she leaped corner to corner. Chifuyu was too fast for her until the Leader caught Chifuyu's katana with her right hand, and swiped it away.

"You're through!"

"I'll decide when I'm through."

Right away, Chifuyu wrapped her arms onto the Leader's body like an anaconda, and she was holding a wire in her hand, choking the Leader.

"Aak…!?"

"Relying on the Absolute Protection slows your judgment."

Gasping for air, the Leader struggled to break free until the wire disintegrated by the Absolute Protection's energy shield. However, Chifuyu kicked her by the side as Chifuyu remained calm as ever, irritating the Leader even more.

"Your physical ability is impressive, but still-"

"You're developing IS units using unregistered cores, aren't you?"

The Leader swung a left hook into Chifuyu's stomach, and at that moment-

 **BANG**

A small explosion rang, and Chifuyu was sent flying backwards. The Leader was suspicious of the explosion until she saw blades around her.

"Smithereens' time," Chifuyu declared her triumph card.

"!"

 **BOOM**

The walls, floor, ceiling were engulfed by the giant explosion like Armageddon or a powerful C4. Chifuyu smirked at the damage she caused before walking away calmly like an ending to the action flick.

"OH NO YOU DON'T!" The Leader screamed.

Chifuyu anticipated the move, and leaped back at the Leader losing her cool to score a hit on Chifuyu. When the Leader activated her thrusters, Chifuyu kicked the Leader in the face, and disappeared into a dark room.

 _This room is a dead end, I got you now!_

The Leader searched the room until the door closed on her, and lights were switched on.

"Your turn, Maya."

"Roger that!"

What the Leader thought she got Chifuyu trapped was completely the opposite. Standing in front of her was Rafale Revive equipped with four humongous gatling guns. With that kind of size, it's enough to make the toughest enemy quiver down to its knees.

"Quad Phenex?!"

Maya can't move due to its weight in order to control the recoil, but it has one of the most powerful ammunition. The turrets slowly rotated, and the Leader was too late to react.

"Oh boy, I hit the jackpot!" Maya exclaimed, squeezing the trigger.

 **BARARARARARA**

Rain of bullets poured onto the Leader that sounded like a casino machine. The Leader's Absolute System protected her from being shot at, but she was slowly being pushed back against the wall. Chifuyu smirked at the Leader suppressed by the Quad Phenex's immense firepower. One minute later, the Absolute System and Fang Quake gave out, and the Leader collapsed as Chifuyu cuffed her wrists with a lovely pair of handcuffs.

"The law will love to see the list of violations you committed," Chifuyu taunted, drinking a cup of coffee. "On the way there, say hi to the cops for me."

"Fuck you…"

Chifuyu placed the crapped out Leader against the wall to do body search on her. No hidden weapons or contraband were found. Maya smiled at Chifuyu that they did a job well done.

"Don't bother calling your men out, they'll be joining with you in jail."

Chifuyu confiscated Fang Quake in standby mode as evidence as she and Maya dragged the Leader to another room.

"You're not obliged to say anything. You have the right to have an attorney at the trial, but not before trial or one present during interrogation session. If you can't afford an attorney, one will not be appointed, is that clear?"

"…"

* * *

Byakushiki picked up the last known location of Liu and Tatenashi as Ichika used Ignition Boost to pick up the pace. Liu tried his best to keep the enemies away from Tatenashi losing blood every second.

 _Where are you, Ichika?_

At the right time, Ichika crashed through the wall, and fired his particle cannon at the soldiers, obliterating them in many directions. Liu shot and killed the soldier reaching for his sidearm.

"Thanks for saving our butts," said Liu.

"Tatenashi-san, Tatenashi-san!" Ichika desperately called her name until she slowly opened her eyes.

"Nn…Ich-ika…kun…?"

"Are you okay? I'll take you to the hospital right away!"

Tatenashi winced from the gunshot wound as she gave Ichika the coordinates. "I-I'm…fine, head to the underground, everyone's in danger…now!"

"Understood!"

Ichika flew to the underground while Liu carried Tatenashi to the infirmary, reloading his Mac-11.

"How are you doing?" Liu questioned the wounded cat.

"Nn…don't worry too much about it, I'm immortal…" Tatenashi laughed as her face didn't show foolishness.

"…"

Liu wrapped a piece of clothing on her abdomen to prevent blood loss. While Liu set her down, a nurse and armed staff member stood on guard to protect Tatenashi as Liu surveyed the area for enemies lurking by.

Ichika removed Byakushiki with Kanzashi flustered at the situation.

"Ichika! You're back," said Kanzashi, trying to figure out how to explain the crisis.

Ichika took the sixth slot as Kanzashi started the countdown to transfer Ichika's consciousness into the virtual system.

"An unknown force has hacked into the systems, they're by disabling the entire IS Academy. Houki and the others have entered the cyber world to regain control, but they also come under attack, rendering them unconscious indefinitely. You'll have to perform a cyber-dive."

Ichika didn't understand a single word from Kanzashi, but to put it in English, just save them from further danger.

Rain and Lion operatives parked their vehicles inside the maintenance room as they searched for the interrogation room. Rain carried a Sig-Sauer P320 .45 ACP for Autumn to escape from her captors. She didn't miss the Academy at all as Rain smirked looking at the coordinates to the interrogation room.

"I wonder if Chifuyu miss me by now," Rain said. "I bet not because that's all in the past."

Butcher team hid behind a wall as Behemoth readied her MP5A3, and motioned her men to take battle positions surrounding the door. The heavily armored operatives were equipped with ballistic shields, MP5A3 with hollow rounds, and Glock 19. They're ready to destroy the interrogation room just to rescue Autumn. Thanks to their dark colored uniform acted as camouflage, they were hard to be seen in the night, and Mattheus and Joel were about to get a rude awakening.

Mattheus and Joel got a gutsy feeling something crawled beneath their skins while the staff members stood on guard. The quietness only increased the tensions of a surprise attack about to erupt from the Lion.

"Get ready…" Mattheus muttered to the young Irish punk. "Autumn must not leave this room at all."

Mattheus held his AK-47 while Joel cocked his customized M1911A1. The boys weren't taking any chances to let Autumn escape as the staff member remained on guard at the agent, drawing her M4A1. Three female staff members were provided as backup, armed with Ruger P90, and the fourth member wielded a Remington 870. Because all the IS units were under maintenance, staff members were stuck to conventional firearms as last resort when suddenly…

 **BANG POP**

Thunderous short burst of 9mm sounds pierced through the door, nearly hitting the staff members, Mattheus and Joel. This was not the warning they received by armed operatives firing at the interrogation room. They scrambled for cover as Mattheus fired back.

"Get down!" Joel shouted, hiding beneath an office desk. They returned with barrage of gunfire, but none of their marks hit the spot. Lion operatives took advantage of the dark as they deliberately fired randomly to disorient Autumn's captors. Behemoth kicked the door down as she released a small burst to wound the staff member.

"Fuck!" Mattheus shouted at the staff member oozing blood from her mouth. Behemoth fired three rounds at the wounded staff member before she was whiskered away, drawing a small trail of blood. Four more went inside to backup Behemoth as Carnival team provided cover fire.

Mattheus saw a brief muzzle fire from Behemoth's submachine gun, and opened fire. Behemoth quickly hid beneath the desk to reload as her men took over. They protected themselves with ballistic shields to deflect the opposing bullets while firing their guns simultaneously. The staff members and Joel did their best to penetrate Lion's defense, but their thick armor and shield protected them from harm.

Mattheus was in disbelief at the nearly invincible paramilitary special ops unit that weren't affected by the bullets. Let alone, the ballistic shields did their job to protect the operatives. Another staff member fired her shotgun that pelted the operatives, but the buckshot shells pushed them back slightly. In response, they fired dozens of rounds and down goes the staff member.

"They're overpowered!" Mattheus said in disbelief. "How many hits does it take to kill them?"

Behemoth leaped over the counter, firing her MP5A3 as two staff members engaged against the squad leader. Mattheus and Joel struggled against the small battalion of Lion operatives closing in. The boys were slowly pushed back against the Phantom Task stronghold, and a cylindrical device was hurled through the window. Behemoth and her men "disappeared" into the dark, and this couldn't get much worse. With them out of the way, it turned out to be an M84 stun grenade ready to detonate. The only way to beat was for the boys and staff members to cover their ears and eyes.

"Brace for impact!"

The flashbang exploded a blinding flash of light that obscured the room with an intensely loud bang greater than 170 decibels. The staff members slowly got up, suffering an afterimage that impaired their ability to aim with precision. The loud blast caused temporary loss of hearing and balance, and Mattheus and Joel lost sight of their vision.

Two staff members staggered towards the door, where Lion operatives aimed their MP5A3.

"Get back here!" Joel yelled. He was too late as the staff members fired blindly, and met by dozens of rounds blasted through their bodies, dropping them dead.

"NOO!"

Behemoth charged through, leaping gracefully to avoid the shots fired by Mattheus and Joel as her men kept the boys busy with cover fire. Behemoth had enough of the Flemish man and young Irish punk slowing her down with their guns.

"Stand still, will ya?"

"Die," Behemoth replied looking Mattheus dead in the eye.

Behemoth didn't come here to waste time with Mattheus and Joel. Behemoth turned around with lightning speed to perform a spinning hook kick at Mattheus that knocked him off balance. Joel fired his M1911A1 at Behemoth, but she was too fast for him, and kicked his sidearm away. Joel drew his modified Colt Python to shoot Behemoth, but she broke his wrist, and Behemoth punched him in the stomach. Joel gasped for air from the devastating blow as Autumn's IS fell from Joel's pocket, and Behemoth snatched it for further repair.

"You-"

Mattheus aimed his AK-47, but Behemoth threw Joel at him, forcing the former to rethink his actions. While Mattheus caught Joel to put him aside, Behemoth threw a flying knee to his face, knocking the Flemish man backwards. Mattheus threw a left hook, but Behemoth stomped his kneecap and swung a fast left punch that left Mattheus stunned. Behemoth delivered a powerful knee to the groin, and rammed Mattheus's head on the desk, causing Mattheus to fall on his back.

Mattheus briefly saw Behemoth's balaclava with a lion insignia before he blacked out from the impact. To add insult to injury, Behemoth confiscated his AK-47. The last staff member returned fire, but Behemoth was too fast as she threw an uppercut at the staff member that dislocated her jaw. Behemoth unleashed automatic fire at the staff member to cut her life. Her men rushed in to take Autumn away before Rain threw her P320 at the older agent. Autumn shot the surviving staff member as .45 ACP punctured her chest, and nearby desks as Autumn fired blindly. Joel dragged Mattheus to find cover while he avoided being shot. Five seconds later, Autumn stopped shooting because she fired all 10 rounds. Lion operatives surveyed the area as Joel's heart beat faster hearing the footsteps of the special ops unit.

"Butcher Three opened fire on four suspects," said Butcher Three, confiscating the P90 from the dead staff members. "All four are dead, we're moving out."

Behemoth nodded at her companions as she loaded a 33 round magazine into her converted Glock 17 two-tone, locked the slide back and chambered the full auto gun.

"Understood. Nine of you, go with Rain and Autumn. We'll survey the Academy and repel those that try to capture Autumn."

Behemoth and her men separated from the pack while the others prepare to evacuate the Academy.

"That was too easy!" Rain scoffed. "Those foreign looking boys can join with the ladies in hell."

Rain took Joel's M1911A1 as she partial deployed Hellhound v2.8, and released burst stream of fire that turned the room into a gigantic bonfire.

The fire grew stronger inches away from engulfing the entire room. Luckily, Joel avoided being shot at from Autumn before he found an opening, and dragged Mattheus to safety as the interrogation room scorched intensely. Mattheus and Joel failed to prevent Autumn from escaping, and four staff members died from the shootout.

"Who the hell are they…?" The young Irish punk said clutching his head in frustration.

"Phantom Task came to swoop Autumn," Mattheus chimed in. "Fuck that hurt…"

The boys were injured from Behemoth's swift, brutal attacks as they head to the infirmary. Joel ended up with a broken wrist as Mattheus suffered a minor concussion from the violent impact against the desk. Mattheus limped along the corridor with Joel carrying him over the shoulder.

"Mattheus! Joel!" Liu ran towards them. "What happened?"

Mattheus struggled to keep balance from the injuries he sustained from Behemoth. "Phantom Task flushed us out to rescue Autumn, and nearly got torched alive by an IS pilot agent."

"Goddamn it…" Liu growled. "Was it Kaori that did this?"

"I don't have the answer to that," Joel replied. "I'll have to warn you. Those men are extremely dangerous, and heavily armored. If I were you, stay the fuck away from those guys."

Joel was dead serious with his advice. Even though Mattheus and Joel are strong together, the Lion's strength and speed were too strong. Liu helped the boys to the infirmary as a nurse and armed staff member treated their injuries. Liu left the infirmary to return to the underground base.

Rain led the way as Autumn reloaded her P320, and fired relentlessly at the staff members trying to slow her down. Rain drew Escort Black, and slashed through the wall that left a trail of fire. Lion operatives gunned down the surviving staff members until they were dropped dead. However, they ran into the American forces, and both parties from opposing sides fired at each other.

Lion units had better equipment as their hollow round bullets pierced through the American soldiers' armor like decayed wood. The soldiers' bullets barely affect the Lion operatives, and Rain burned them alive.

"AAAAAHHHHH!" The surviving soldier tried to put out the fire burning them alive before Butcher Eight gunned them down one by one. The men had no problem killing those that got in their way. Autumn aimed her P320 at the last soldier, and shot him in the head three times. Autumn spat at the dead soldier to disrespect the dead.

"Squall, Autumn has been extracted," said Butcher Eight. "We'll arrive as soon as possible."

Rain smirked at the older psychotic agent as she gave Autumn the key to her getaway car.

"You can thank us later, Autumn. Let's beat it."

Autumn frowned at the American agent before she brought the Viper to life, and the American sports car sped away. Behemoth's men followed the former while Rain spat fire at the hallway, and flew away. Lion unit successfully retrieved Autumn without losing their men in the process. They're proven extremely dangerous and highly trained, and they might strike again.

* * *

"Please…no!"

Rin attempted to cover her exposed breasts, but Ichika stopped her with his hands. As Ichika licked between her collarbone and breasts, he removed the bra hook that sounded exceptionally loud. While Ichika kneed her breasts, he reached down her skirt and panties to get on top of Rin.

"W-wait…" Rin attempted to escape, but she fell under the influence of Ichika's charm, and lifted her body slightly. Rin closed her eyes to be taken away when suddenly…

"YOU LITTLE SHIT! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?"

The door opened no other than Ichika in his IS uniform, which Rin did not expect, and looked at her ideal Ichika in confusion. She did not sign up for this with two Ichikas in front of her.

"I-Ichika?!"

Rin stopped momentarily to retrace her steps.

 _Wait, he's wearing the IS Academy uniform…then the Ichika in front of me…is he my ideal Ichika? Am I in my fantasy world? Oh, shit!_

"World Purge. Anomaly detected, foreign object intruded. Commence removal," the fake Ichika said in a mechanical voice, changing his eyes from black to gold.

Rin's world flickered out of control that brought great amount of pain to her head.

"It hurts! It-it hurts!" Rin cried in pain feeling cut from the inside out.

"Save me, Ichika!" Rin cried at the real Ichika.

The fake Ichika charged as the real Ichika threw a left straight that stunned him momentarily. While they slug it out, Rin slowly got up to fight through the immense pain, partial deploying Shenlong with Ryuhou charging up.

"DIE, YOU FAKE!"

Rin fired Ryuhou with the highest output, and the fake Ichika scattered like a block of Legos that destroyed her room in the process. The real Ichika extended his arm with a smile that the nightmare was over.

"It's okay now," said Ichika. "I'll protect you, Rin."

Rin touched Ichika's hand as bright light shined through the ruined room, and they were teleported back to outer space, where the girls started in the beginning. Rin's butt was saved by the real Ichika. Unfortunately, the teleportation didn't change her clothes, and Rin was half-naked being stripped by the fake Ichika.

"AAAAAHHHHH!" Rin screamed, covering her bare body.

"U-uhh hey, it wasn't me, I-I didn't do anything, honest!"

The excuse Ichika thought of didn't convince Rin at all when the fake Ichika tried to enter into her.

"Fix. This."

"Huh?"

"Put them back on me!" Rin pouted, blushing at the same time.

"Hah!?" Ichika was shocked at the Chinese girl that couldn't dress herself up.

"You were the one that that took them off me!"

"I told you that wasn't me!"

Ichika's outburst only made Rin letting out tears, and cried. The unexpected response caused Ichika loss of words, and he had no choice, but to comply Rin's order.

"Ahh…okay then, let's get those clothes back on…" Ichika turned his head away, and Rin stopped crying from the shock. When Ichika reached his hands into her skirt, Rin fidgeted.

Rin gave him the bra as Ichika slowly put them back on, followed by her sailor uniform. Last, but not least came the skirt that might be problematic.

"H-hey! What are you doing down there?"

"I'm doing this without looking, so give me a break!"

"Hmph! I'm letting you see it because it's you, Ichika."

Rin tentatively let Ichika put her skirt back on as Ichika put her underwear last. Ichika would never think he would touch Rin's underwear, his second childhood friend next to Houki until suddenly…

"Ahem." Kanzashi cleared her voice that startled the two.

"Now then. Rin, return to base. You may have suffered an attack, and need to be evaluated. Understood?"

"Roger!"

Before Rin was transferred back to the real world, Rin turned around and smiled Ichika for saving her butt from the fake crush.

"Ichika, thanks."

The rescue mission was not over yet with Cecilia, Laura, Charlotte, and Houki still under the influence from their delusional dreams. Rin woke up to see herself, and smiled at her childhood friend. Kanzashi evaluated Rin, and nothing too major harmed her. After Rin wore her uniform, she sneaked out of the base to get fresh air, but Rin thought of Liu momentarily.

 _Liu, wherever you are, please be back in one piece…_

Rin didn't realize she was in the worst place to take a walk because Behemoth's squad units were still out there. Unexpectedly, she saw Liu walking towards him.

"Liu?" Rin pointed the Chinese boy.

"Rin? What are you doing? It's too dangerous to be out here! Get-"

 **POP POP**

Gunshots rang out that startled the two when Behemoth fired her full auto Glock 17, followed by a barrage of gunfire from her men.

"Hang on tight!" Liu shouted.

"What are doing AAH!"

Liu held Rin by his side while he fired his Mac-11 at the Lion operatives. The bullets barely put a dent on the special ops unit as they returned fire. Rin covered her ears from the shootout as they hid in the corner. Behemoth and her men stood their ground, and fired relentlessly to flush Rin and Liu out of hiding. Bullets ripped through the wall as Liu fired blindly at the heavily armed operatives.

"Hand me that gun!" Liu shouted.

Rin grabbed the QCW-05 on her side, and threw it to Liu. The thought of seeing Liu defending her life was something new because Rin felt safer from Liu, compared to Ichika.

 _We're in a losing battle, yet Liu risked his life to protect me from those enemies?_

Behemoth partial deployed her IS similar to the Leader, and fired her belt-fed machine gun. The .55 cal heavy rounds nearly scalped Rin and Liu as it tore half of the corridor with tremendous force. Liu tried to shoot back, but the machine gun's overwhelming power was too strong against his suppressed submachine gun.

Eventually, Behemoth and her men ceased fire with smoke coming out of her machine gun. Liu held Rin tightly as Behemoth walked past them. The fear of getting caught couldn't be more real when they investigated the area for one minute.

"We will now begin withdrawing from our operation zone."

Behemoth removed her IS as she and her men left the area. Rin and Liu ran to find adequate cover away from the hostile zone.

* * *

Before Ichika approached to the second door, Kanzashi had something to say.

"Wait, change these clothes first."

A light of particle surrounded his body until it came to a complete stop. Ichika was dressed up in a black combat uniform, a gas mask on his face, and a Glock 17 slinging off the shoulder.

"That's the mission dress for the English Special Forces SAS," said Kanzashi.

Ichika didn't want to argue with Kanzashi because Cecilia's life was on danger, and entered the door.

"Oohh, Cecilia, I see these are getting bigger as well," said the fake Ichika.

"!"

Ichika raised her bust that made her moan as he fondled her soft breasts. Ichika used his fingertips to play with her nipples-

"YYAAAHH!"

An SAS operative crashed down the ceiling like Santa Claus that startled Cecilia.

"Oh come on, me again!? What the hell am I doing now this time?" Ichika complained.

The fake Ichika turned his eyes into golden, but the SAS operative shot the fake Ichika by the head twice. The fake Ichika disappeared into the light as the operative removed his mask, revealing the real Ichika. Cecilia's fake world disappeared, and her clothes were back to her uniform. However, Cecilia folded her arms as she was really angry at Ichika, and aimed her optic drones at the boy.

"Ichika! You…just saw me naked, nude!" Cecilia exclaimed, threatening to pull the trigger.

"Woah, wait a second!" Ichika pleaded, but Cecilia wasn't buying it.

"The humiliation was unforgivable, and I don't want to hear your pathetic excuses!"

Ichika was inches away from being blasted, and had to be honest with the English girl.

"It…it was beautiful! You know, your body."

Cecilia squealed in delight that Ichika complimented her voluptuous body, despite the fact she allowed the fake Ichika to touch her nude body. Ichika saved Charlotte, Laura, and Houki from further harm. Well, Laura, and Houki didn't smack Ichika silly, except for Charlotte that poked his eyes for staring at her naked body. Overall, the girls were back in one piece, and the hectic day was finally over.

* * *

 **Time: 12:47AM - Maintenance Room**

Night took over the skies with Rin and Liu panting from running excessively. The maintenance room was big to store over dozens of IS with tools piled neatly on the shelves. The floor was cold, concrete solid free of crack with no heaters, except lights dimly lit on the ceilings. Ichika, Mattheus, Joel, and Tatenashi slept peacefully at the infirmary to recover from their injuries. The rest of the girls were in their respective rooms sleeping peacefully. Rin and Liu eluded Behemoth's path of destruction, and they were lucky Behemoth didn't fully utilize her IS. Otherwise, Behemoth would have turned from a rescue mission into a massacre.

In front of them were two sports cars, a Storm Grey McLaren 570S, and a Sunburst Yellow Mazda RX-7 FD3S. Who would leave their sports cars in the Academy?

Rin tilted her head looking at the heavily modified import, and tapped Liu's shoulder.

"Who owns these cars?" Rin asked Liu.

"I have no clue," Liu said. "It has no return address or a note."

"Ok…" Rin replied.

Rin doesn't know much about cars, but it didn't bite to be curious as she stared at the fine curves of the cars. Rin couldn't stop staring at the front end of the RX-7 that resembled a tiger from its sharp fixed headlights.

"Hmm? What's up?"

"This car is beautiful," Rin said, sitting on the right fender of the Mazda. "Those headlights look ferocious. Delicate, smooth, yet tells me it's very fast that demands respect."

"Correct, it's not your everyday car," Liu smirked. "What you're sitting on is a Mazda RX-7 tuned by FEED, a sports car made by Japan's finest."

While Rin stared at Liu leaning on the McLaren, she inadvertently thought of him like he's a famous celebrity posing for a magazine. Rin shook her head to not let impure thoughts distract her. With a small blush on her cheeks, Rin looked away to hide it.

"I-I don't…Hey! I'm not thinking of you-eep!" Rin warned, trying to hide her blush. A slip up made her face blushed like a fire engine. Liu raised an eyebrow at Rin fidgeting.

 _Diu! What the hell was I thinking? For Christ sake, you're a Representative of China. Liu is a gangster, and you're not supposed to imagine things like that!_

"What were you thinking just now?" Liu questioned the Chinese girl.

"I'm fine!" Rin threatened to pummel the gangster with fists of fury. "The World Purge didn't do much damage to me."

Liu tilted his head in confusion. "World Purge?"

Rin was tangled in her own words, trying to figure out how to get out of the sticky situation.

"It's nothing you should know, it's not like I was about to lose my shell to Ich…wha what!?"

Rin was shaken up from the World Purge, but might have said too much. "I-I hey!"

"Woah, don't ruin the fine paint!" Liu warned. "Thing doesn't come cheap, and I'm not paying that either."

Rin nearly chipped the paint from her boots before she adjusted herself. Few minutes of awkward silence, Rin went inside the cockpit, though she felt like a racing driver sitting on the bucket seat, and holding the aftermarket steering wheel. Coincidentally, Liu blushed at Rin behind the wheel that reflected her energetic, yet fiery personality.

At the same time, Rin was in a deep thought comparing Liu and the McLaren that suited his balanced, hot tempered characteristic.

"The 570S looks sweet," Liu said that interrupted Rin's deep thoughts. "I'm going to turn it on to see what it sounds like."

As Liu opened the door that resembled butterfly wings, he pressed the ignition button, and the twin-turbo M838T V8 roared that startled Rin as she stepped out of the vehicle, and stroked the smooth fender, still unsure what else to say with her and Liu all alone. Rin never thought the boy she took in would be an IS pilot. Let alone, Liu was also an associate of Righteousness Union, one of China's most feared Triad.

 _Why am I falling for Liu? It's like my attention is directed towards him away from Ichika. Even though he saved me from World Purge, Liu's valor extended further than my childhood friend when he protected me from being shot by those armed men._

Rin's inner self begged to get closer to Liu as she tried to maintain control. After a mind boggling tug-of-war, Rin approached towards Liu.

"Liu, about Nightmare," Rin said, trying to hide her nervousness. "Why Three Dragons didn't kill you immediately to steal it?"

Liu shook his head, but he accidentally turned the radio on that played Mass Effect 3 – I Was Lost Without You. The peaceful violin and piano tune changed the atmosphere between the IS pilots.

"Joker gave me a chance to use Nightmare in order to analyze the potentials. He's the type of guy that likes to watch me suffer before I'm weak enough to fight back."

"A new level of being bad next to Phantom Task," Rin muttered. "I can't believe you and Three Dragons fought over an IS, and he's willing to kill anyone that gets in his way."

Liu growled thinking of Three Dragons because the more he has to hear it, his drive to kill him increased tenfold.

"If Three Dragons is asking to have his behind kicked I'll be happy to skewer him, and chop his ass up into pieces."

Rin noticed Liu's murderous tone, and she can't have him snap again like last time. Rin lifted his chin with one hand to ease him off. The soundtrack calmed Liu's nerves to subside his killing aura.

"I understand why you want to end Three Dragons," said Rin with a soothing tone. "But don't take him on by yourself, unless you know someone will back you up. Remember what happened I saved you that you almost died from him…?"

Liu nodded from his ill-fated attempt to go after Three Dragon, only to find himself whooped again, and lost his crew in the process.

"You're right…then I can finally have a normal life without thinking too much about personal scores."

Rin stared at his dark brown eyes resembling chocolate. While Liu stared at her face, they became closer with his arms grasping her shoulders. Rin's jade green eyes, soft brown hair struck a nerve to Liu. Her scent was nourishing, but slightly bitter like bombax ceiba scented tea. Loss of words, Rin stroked his muscular biceps as their lips closed together until they made contact.

 _I'll feel really bad if Liu died in front of my eyes. The first time I saw him, I did everything to save his life. Never knew he's a member of the Righteousness Union, but I won't let Three Dragons kill Liu over Nightmare._

Like an addiction to sweets, Rin cupped his cheeks while she passionately kissed him. The thoughts of getting close to Ichika were replaced with Liu as her replacement. Liu had his arms around her back while their lips softly wrestled each other. At the same time, their hands grabbed their collars, and that could mean only one thing. Liu backed off as Rin slowly nodded without saying a word. No more blushes anymore because the time has come.

Liu understood right away, and the Chinese duo continued to kiss while slowly stripping each other's clothes. Rin unbuttoned his white shirt as he stripped half of her uniform, exposing her pink bra. With his gray tank top, Rin undressed it that revealed his muscular body, not too big, but just right. Liu's colorful Triad mythical tattoos were just as beautiful like a walking art gallery as she continued to kiss.

Their hearts beat at a faster rate that they're extending their love, and it couldn't be real. Her uniform slouched on her waist as Liu slid down the bra to expose her breasts.

Big or small chest size didn't matter to Liu because to him, Rin was perfect to match him. His hands fondled her breasts and nipples that felt slightly bigger the last time they got close. Perhaps Rin drank a lot of milk to increase her growth and chest size. Rin moaned as he kissed and massaged her breasts. In response, Rin stroked his tattoos that painted his muscular body as she wrestled her thoughts together.

 _I can't hold it anymore! I want to finish where I left off from the World Purge…No, Ichika's not the one that'll take me away…_

Reaching for the lower part, their hands interlocked to strip her last shell. For safety reasons, Liu kept his pants on.

The undying love was unstoppable as Liu gently set her on the cold, concrete floor between the sports cars. Kissing to no end, Liu unzipped to enter into Rin. Given her first time, Rin struggled in pain, but eventually, Liu was completely inside of her. With a reassuring look, Rin nodded her head to begin.

The Chinese duo blossom forth as Liu slowly moved his hips to not hurt Rin. They had become one on this late night as their lust to extend their love continued. Increasing the speed, their moans echoed the empty maintenance room with the McLaren hummed its engine to drown out their love session. Good thing Liu kept the 570S on, or they would have been in trouble.

 _Is this what it feels like? This feels so good, Yes! Aah! Take me away like the World Purge. Only this time, it's real!_

"Liu…" Rin grasped his broad shoulders while Liu grabbed the bouncing breasts, kneading them as if they were pudding. Three minutes of kissing, kneading each other, Liu moved his hips at a faster rate.

"Uggh…ugggh…uggggh!" Rin made lewd noises from the ecstasy.

However, that was just the start as Rin grabbed his hands, and leaned over the front fender of the McLaren. Her stomach laid flat on the car while her lower half stuck out. This was the universal language of keep going, and it's not over yet. Liu penetrated deep into her crevasse, hitting the sweet spot that would release pleasure within her body. His hands grabbed her waist, and Liu's mind was blacked out, except his desire to make love to Rin without holding back. On the other hand, Rin let him bring pleasure until she was satisfied. That didn't stop them as their hands intertwined to strip her entire uniform and bra. Feeling the smooth skin, Liu caressed her bare back, round butt, breasts, and rubbed her perky nipples.

"Give me more, Liu…AH!"

Rin threw her head back from the pleasure with her twin tails hanging freely. While she moaned nonstop, Liu gently pulled her hair back, increasing the lust to go more. Like a cowboy pulling the rein on a wild horse, Rin placed her hands, and raised her upper body to allow Liu hit more sweet spots.

"AUGH! HARDER!"

Liu increased his speed from Rin's command while he squeezed her waist to give it all he has.

 _I don't care what the world thinks of me. As long as I'm with Liu, rules don't apply to me!_

Liu turned Rin over with her on top of him. Sitting on the fender of the RX-7, it was Rin's turn to take control. Her knees locked between his waists as she moved her hips up and down like a pogo stick, unsheathing before burying it deep within her. Their systems went overload that only left them with one purpose: go all out until they can't move.

"Liu…"

"Rin…"

Liu sealed her lips shut for a wild kiss to quell down their voices. They broke off the kiss as Rin grind between his thighs. Rin looked at Liu with a gentle smile, but it broke immediately from the pleasure coursing through her. Rin moaned nonstop as sweat poured all over their body from the intensifying heat. They were far behind from calling it a day as Liu moved his hips, and Rin moaned louder.

"Don't…stop…!"

They leaned on the driver door as Liu lifted her left leg up to him. While Liu pumped and knead her breasts, Rin grabbed Liu's neck and plunged into a kiss with him. Her tongue licked all over his mouth with saliva oozing from their mouths. In response, Liu pumped her faster while Rin screamed in pleasure.

"Liu! More! Give me more!" Rin kissed Liu after demanding him to be more aggressive.

They stopped momentarily for Rin to open the door as Liu grabbed her waist, and gently set her inside the cockpit. Homestretch away from the end, Rin had her right leg onto his shoulder while her left leg rested on the clutch pedal.

"One more, Liu…" Rin said in an innocent, yet drunk-like tone from the love session. Liu nodded, untying her yellow ribbons as Rin's long hair flowed down, and entered into her one last time. Like being mind controlled to Rin's order, Liu slammed Rin to no end. They were going at it from the nerve-wrecking intercourse to the point Rin accidentally pressed the clutch pedal, and Liu turned the key ignition on. The 13B-REW roared to life rumbling every second, but this time, Rin wasn't fazed from the sound. When the car idled, Liu pumped faster from the furious intercourse while Rin held the steering wheel and bucket seat tightly. Wet, slapping noises can be heard, but not loud enough to match the purring sports cars. Liu pushed to the maximum like sprinting towards the finish line until-

"Fwaaaah, aaaah! Aaaaah! KYAAAAHHHH!"

Rin screamed to her highest pitch that at the same time, Liu pressed the gas pedal repeatedly, and the modified import shrieked and hissed from the twin turbo. Combining the screaming banshees, the RX-7 drowned the Chinese duo's moans and screams from its Wankel rotary engine. At the height of the climax, they reached their limit, and gave in. Liu discharged all of his essence into Rin also releasing her own that slowly leaked out of her, and dribbled on the bucket seat.

The Chinese duo huffed and gasped from their first love session before Liu used his last strength to turn off the engine. Like coming out of a sauna, they sweated nonstop as their breath emitted steam. Rin cuddled up to Liu as they leaned on the hood of the RX-7, embracing him close.

"I…I-I," Rin tried to say the three magic words.

"I know what you're about to say," Liu replied, brushing her sweaty hair as Rin smiled in a sweet way. She kissed him deeply as Liu did the same in return. Their night was concluded with their hands intertwined, and the tiger and the dragon continued to kiss each other until they fell asleep.


	23. Some Sort of Drug

Pardon for the slow update, midterms and college got in the way.

* * *

 **Time: 12:16PM - Docks**

"Hear me out! Why would I betray you to the feds? Think about it, I served you guys for decades...I'm not a rat!" The informant pleaded.

At the docks, the informant was tied up to a chair with duct tape wrapped all over his body like a cocoon. Health wise, he was beaten, battered like an abused doll as blood dripped from his forehead. Three Dragons sat across the informant with a dead poker face as Kaori wielded a sledgehammer. Three Dragons' six associates calmly watch the poor informant beaten to a pulp. After all, Kaori and the goons treated the informant like a punching bag with crowbars, brass knuckles, and iron clubs for an hour. With the camcorder on live, the informant coughed blood.

Three Dragons nodded at Kaori to shake the informant one more time to confess. Kaori swung her sledgehammer up high and smacked the informant by the kneecap like ice that shattered into pieces.

"AAAAAHHHHH!" The informant screamed in pain and cried. Kaori lifted the man's chin to make him look at Three Dragons.

"Mr. Ito," said Three Dragons. "Let's end this here by telling me why you wanted to sell me over to the feds?"

"P-please...you got it all wrong...I've been telling I'm not a rat. Your a-associates secretly worked for Chifuyu to nab you for distributing Titan -M5..."

Three Dragons wasn't buying the excuse, and nodded his head at his associates to end the discussion for good, and the informant's eyes widened in disbelief. His associates force fed him cement with an oil funnel to suffocate the informant as he struggled to spit it out. Tried as he might, but he slowly suffocated until his eyes rolled back. Three Dragons took the camcorder to save it for further reference, primarily for Chifuyu to taunt her that her colleague died, and a warning to stop sticking her nose into his business.

Shen revealed a briefcase of four cylindrical tubes like it came out of a top secret lab with the label Titan -M5. Kaori drank the content as dark liquid coursed through her body that stimulated her blood. Kaori felt the power within her as she clenched her right fist with a crack as veins revealed dark red color. In less than a second, Kaori partial deployed Phoenix, and shot a stream of fire up with twice the intensity. The drug was a success with Kaori that became stronger than last time.

Titan -M5, a new drug came from the underworld. This drug was made from rogue IS scientists and technicians to strengthen IS pilots. It's a liquid stimulant that enhance IS pilot's stamina, strength, reflexes, reaction time, and IS capabilities. Thanks to the extensive testing of top scientists, it showed no side effects, and it also removes the fear of death. The taste is very bitter, but it's not addictive. It's extremely valuable to the underworld that's top price, and highly illegal.

"Time to sleep with the fishes, put him in the barrel." Three Dragons ordered his associates.

Three Dragons' associates sealed the dead informant onto a barrel as they threw him overboard to make a watery grave. Another associate recorded the whole thing with his iPhone 6Plus as he walked away from the docks to not be seen. The associate was more than just a mere thug as he makes an important phone call.

"What is it?" said the caller shrouded in shadows.

"I got what you needed. Are you going to do the honor to begin the next stage?"

The unknown caller lit a cigarette as he exhaled the smoke, and set it on the ash tray.

"Yes, I'll do it so you don't get too caught up. Until then, I'll meet you on the other side."

The associate was actually a mole from the CIA to collect information. The person he just called was his handler, and his identity remained unknown. The handler sent a text message to someone he knows he can get vital information.

 _I know who you are, and I can help you achieve your goal. Meet me at The Central View restaurant when you're not at the Academy. You know where to look. No need to reply back. – Lion Heart._

* * *

 **Time: 2:23PM – Rooftop**

Liu received the anonymous text message as he read it.

 _Who the fuck is this Lion Heart?_

Liu was suspicious, but he put it aside to deal with it later. Rin, Cecilia, and Liu set up the net to play volleyball with Ichika, Charlotte, and Laura pumping air on the ball. Mattheus and Joel trained the classmates with advanced techniques to enhance their skills while Houki trained alone in the dojo. The day was peaceful with bright skies partly cloudy, birds chirping on the other side, what's more to say?

"Are you ready to lose, you peasants?" Laura taunted, revealing a Glasgow smile.

"Be careful what you wish for, Laura!" Cecilia gloated. "You'll be down your knees begging for mercy when we're through with you."

Laura served the ball as Cecilia returned it back with Ichika and Liu on the defensive position. The ball bounced back and forth over the net as Cecilia jumped up, and spiked the ball.

"I got this one!" Ichika exclaimed, spiking the ball with greater speed. It travelled so fast Liu missed it by an inch, and the ball rolled gently on the grass until it stopped.

"Lucky shot," said Liu, retrieving the ball. "We're just getting started."

While they vigorously play volleyball, Chifuyu appeared, much to the surprise of the gang. Normally, Chifuyu would stay away from the rooftop, but her facial expression says it all because Chifuyu had something urgent to tell.

"Stop whatever you're doing because I got some breaking news to tell you," Chifuyu said.

The gang immediately complied as they huddled around Chifuyu. Her facial expression was serious with no signs of laughing matter. Her left hand was a clipboard with few pictures attached to it.

"What you're about to see is pretty shocking that I cannot ignore this epidemic," said Chifuyu.

Chifuyu showed the gang a picture of the cylindrical tube Kaori used to consume. The gang tilted their head in confusion, having no clue what it is.

"Can't blame you kiddies that you haven't keep up with the news lately, this here is a new drug."

"A new drug?" Cecilia asked. "What's so important about a drug that's always made and distributed worldwide?"

Chifuyu craned her neck until a strain of her hair made her brush it aside. "You heard me right, Cecilia. I'm talking about a new drug known as Titan –M5."

"Titan –M5?"

"Yes, Titan –M5 is a stimulant created by crooked IS scientists to enhance IS pilots' strength."

"How is that possible?" Laura questioned.

"Titan –M5 says it all," Chifuyu replied, revealing the rest of the pictures. "What's scary is that the scientists perfected the formula that it doesn't have side effects. Crooks have their hands on it to draw IS pilots out for power. It's valuable in the underworld, and it must be stopped."

The gang saw the pictures of Titan –M5 with before and after results of the IS power. Liu frowned that rogue IS pilots would use Titan –M5 to have a winning advantage, and he has a distaste of enhancing drugs.

Chifuyu set aside her clipboard as her menacing red eyes scanned at the gang. No objections were blurted out from the gang because they know better to not make the Brunhilde mad.

"I'll need a sample of Titan –M5 for evidence that requires two people that don't mind going out to get exercise," said Chifuyu. "Who's up to do the mission?"

Ichika and Liu stare at each other before the former turned his head at Houki. The kendo girl shrugged her shoulders before Laura and Liu raised their hands.

"We'll do it," said Laura and Liu in unison.

Chifuyu said, "Very well. I got Intel that there's suspicious activity three miles away from the Academy. Last known location was at a two-story run-down building. What you two need to do is reconnaissance to confirm the distribution of Titan –M5. Once it's confirmed, get at least a sample of it, and do not engage in battle at all."

Laura and Liu materialized their personal IS as they takeoff to search for the run-down building. The problem was there are a lot of run-down buildings, and the two will have to work together to complete the objective one way or the other.

"Orimura-sensei, are you okay letting Cecilia and Liu on this mission?" Ichika asked, heart pounding.

"I'm positive," said Chifuyu, standing next to him. "They have higher knowledge in the streets, someone that doesn't appear too suspicious."

"I hope you know what you're doing," Ichika replied. "My guts are telling me this is more than just taking a picture, and call it a day."

Chifuyu petted her little brother's hair as she walked away. Chifuyu was confident that the German pilot and Chinese gangster in disguise can tackle the underworld to get a sample of Titan –M5.

Three Dragons stared at the sea with Shen carrying the briefcase full of Titan –M5 as he think his next plan for his criminal operations. Three Dragons has done enough damage to keep himself, Kaori, and Phantom Task nearly untouchable with the birth of Titan –M5. Criminals see it as huge profit while rogue IS pilots will do anything to get their hands on the stimulant drug.

Kaori hovered behind Three Dragons as she wait for further orders from him.

"Kaori," said Three Dragons, not turning his head. "There's a possibility of more Titan –M5 17 miles away from here. It's located at a beige two-story run down building. Why don't you go investigate, and confirm it?"

Kaori nodded, and flew away to her destination.

* * *

 **Time: 2:50 PM – Underworld**

Laura and Liu scanned the infrastructures that were too identical because almost all of them were run-down. Laura wished Chifuyu could have been more specific with the location because they did not see anything occurred. Surprisingly, they flew at low altitude and they were not caught at all. The duo was silent in order to stay focus on the mission, knowing well that they are going on the heart of the underworld. Anything can happen in a flash, which they were prepared to counter.

"Liu, I spot a suspicious car heading to the run down building," said Laura. "Engage in recon mode."

Laura and Liu touchdown a building behind the target as a Championship White Honda Civic Type R parked outside. A criminal and one IS pilot make their way in the building while Laura and Liu keep an eye inside. There was a rogue IS dealer with a table as he waited for the two men to start negotiating. Laura used her Schwarzer Regen to pick up the feed on the conversation.

"Hey, you got the stuff?" The buyer questioned.

"Yeah, you got the money?" The IS dealer replied.

They don't know each other, but the goal for them was to get what they wanted. To ensure not to get on the bad side from the buyers, the dealer set a briefcase that contained two samples of Titan –M5 neatly packaged. The IS pilot held the Titan –M5 to inspect the contents while the dealer patiently waited.

"Let me get a taste to confirm it's authentic."

"What? My shit's not good enough for you? Go on ahead, I won't stop you."

The dealer gestured in approval as the IS pilot drank a portion of the stimulant drug. Within 15 seconds, the power became within her, and the IS pilot clenched her fist with a loud crack.

"Straight from the chefs, your powers will increase tenfold against those that dare to go against you. As a matter of fact, we're selling them like hotcakes on every corner."

"I like it, we'll take these, and for your return of service, here's your payday."

The buyer set a duffel bag while the dealer opened to count every stack of bills. Laura and Liu were disgusted hearing the conversation as they promote a drug used to cheat.

"The more I have to see this, the more I want to destroy them," Laura muttered. "Absolutely disgusting for criminals using Titan –M5 to lure IS pilots for power."

The dealer nodded his head as he took the money away while the two crooks went with their prized possessions, and drove away. With no one else inside the shady building, the coast was clear.

"Time to clean up," said Liu deactivating Nightmare. "There might be more of these Titan –M5 in this complex."

They could have intercepted the dealing, but the primary objective was not to start a fight. They were supposed to confirm any sightings of Titan –M5, and bring a sample back to Chifuyu. Laura and Liu surveyed the building that was dirty, broken windows, and decayed furniture scattered everywhere. So far, the duo searched the first floor was empty, even though they checked every desks with open drawers. Liu found a flashlight on the desk, and he took it in case. No contrabands or Titan –M5 were seen.

Liu could have start a small conversation, but this was not the appropriate time since Laura was highly focused on the mission. Laura spotted a stairway to the second floor as she nudged Liu in the shoulder.

"Up these stairs, we're far from over from inspecting this shady building."

Laura led the way as they made their way up to the stairs. Laura tried to open the door that was sealed shut, and without warning, she kicked the door down with ease that echoed like a bomb.

Laura in combat position unsheathed her combat knife, creeping through the empty room while Liu kept an eye out for possible ambush. Laura found the light switch, and the dangling light bulb flickered on and off repeatedly, but that was all they needed. A small crackle from the ceiling startled Laura, and she instinctively stopped Liu with her right hand.

"Wait, it could be a trap."

After Laura finished her warning, the lights went out, turning the room pitch black. This was the last thing they want; a ceiling making cracks every second, and no traces of incriminating evidence. Liu used his flashlight to illuminate the room from bottom to top. Laura remained in position to let Liu inspected the room before it's a go.

Liu was about to nod his head, the ceiling cracked one last time, and small chunks of debris fell to the ground, followed by two wires emitting sparks. Liu nearly lost his footing, but Laura grabbed his hand just in time. Laura saw something out of the ordinary on the wall that had a large blanket covered.

"This is unusual," Liu muttered. "You think there could be something hiding inside that wall?"

"Affirmative, you might want to stay back."

Laura partial deployed Purizushi, and fired a .80 caliber that obliterated the wall into smithereens. Small chunks of fire scattered the giant hole, and their suspicions were correct. Not one, but dozens of Titan –M5 encased in a single duffel bag. Laura and Liu hit the jackpot big time, and it could not get more real to see the stimulant drugs in their face.

"Oh Chifuyu is going to love this when we give this to her," said Laura, grabbing the duffel bag. "My instincts tell me there's more in this room."

Laura and Liu found another door as they opened, and they were caught by surprise. Not only they found Titan –M5, the duo discovered a makeshift lab used to create these illegal drugs.

"Holy shit…" Liu turned on the lights. "So this is where Titan –M5 was produced."

Dozens of beakers, test tubes, a scale, and unidentified chemicals sat on a table. However, that was just a sample because there was a paper with instructions of how to make Titan –M5. Laura took the paper as Liu surveyed the open drawers. Titan –M5 was not the only narcotics in the lab. Liu found bricks of cocaine, unlabeled pills, laundered money, and firearms as a bonus.

"Take a look of this, Laura. This place must be where the magic poops out of a unicorn that makes the underworld run."

Laura inspected the contraband Liu had in his hands; clenching her fist that she had a huge distaste against drugs.

"Gather them up," Laura commanded, tearing down a blanket. "I'll search the rest of this facility."

While Liu round up the evidence Laura found some drug money as she stuffed them in the duffel bag. Liu opened a treasure chest, and held a blue paper with his right hand up high that caught Laura's attention.

"That's a blueprint of an IS hyper-sensor package," said Laura, pointing at the object. "This thing can respond to speeds over 520km/hr."

"Looks like we got everything we needed, let's get out of here."

Laura and Liu swept the lab clean, or so they thought. What they did not notice was there's another batch of Titan –M5 hidden underneath the first floor. Liu called Chifuyu on his private link.

"Chifuyu, we found a sample of Titan –M5, but there's a lot more than that. We're heading back to the Academy."

"Very well then, make it quick. The last thing I want to hear is IS pilots carrying Titan –M5 in a public area."

Laura and Liu head downstairs to leave the facility when suddenly…

 **CRASH!**

Out of nowhere, a forceful blow destroyed half of the building that knocked Laura and Liu flying backwards against the wall. Liu ached in pain while Laura struggled to get back on her feet.

"That hurt!" Liu exclaimed. "Where did it come from?"

Laura helped Liu to his feet, and the unknown blow came from Kaori outside of the building. Apparently, Kaori was accustomed to the Titan –M5 she consumed, and used every bit of her profound strength. Kaori did not expect to see Laura and Liu, which she took her time to approach them.

They tried to leave the building once again, but Kaori materialized Vortex, and threw it like a shuriken. The forces of the blades send a shockwave that separated Laura and Liu again. Distorted from the blast, Laura and Liu tried to reach each other as Kaori was getting closer to her prey.

Laura was so close to reach Liu, but Kaori was not going to let that happen. Before Laura can deploy Schwarzer Regen, the Vortex emitted an EMP shockwave that disabled her IS, knocking her backwards.

Liu tried to activate Nightmare, but much to his dismay, it did not do anything. Liu slowly limped to get Laura, but Kaori was too close to them that she would do anything to separate the two.

"We're not going to make it, get out of here, and inform the gang at the Academy right away!"

Laura was hesitant to leave Liu behind because as a soldier, she cannot leave a fallen comrade in the hands of an enemy.

"But-"

"GO!"

Laura understood Liu's reasoning to sacrifice himself for the sake of her safety. Laura did not like it, and before Laura could say a word, Kaori smacked Liu with a swift sweep that knocked him out cold, and knocked Laura away with another sweep.

Laura clutched her stomach in pain as Kaori took the unconscious Liu upstairs. Laura had thoughts of trying to rescue Liu, but her IS was disabled due to the EMP shockwave, and she was injured. This was not an ambush; it was more like an unexpected arrival from Kaori that happened to be in the same mission to retrieve samples of Titan –M5.

* * *

 **Time: 3:15PM – Rin's Room**

"You what!?" Rin shouted at the German soldier.

"Urg…Liu sacrificed himself…I did not want that to happen, but he insisted so he can save me-"

"Why the hell did you not save him earlier?"

"Liu did not want me captured with him!" Laura yelled back. "Kaori showed up out of nowhere that got us separated. She took Liu, and I don't know what she will do to him."

Rin gritted her teeth as rage intensified inches away from smacking Laura for "ditching" Liu behind. This was the last thing Rin wanted to hear was her dragon to be taken in as prisoner of war from the hands of Kaori.

"All right, where is Liu held at?"

"Same building we swept up on the second floor-"

Rin cut her off as she ran through the hallway, pushing few students aside. Before Ichika and the gang could react to find Rin, she was already long gone. Rin materialized Shenlong, and crashed through the windows from the cafeteria.

 _Liu, just hold on, I'll be there!_

* * *

 **Time: 3:30PM - Underworld**

On the second floor of the run-down building, Liu was shirtless with his hands tied behind a wooden chair with duct tape. Liu's face and body were battered and bruised with baseball bats and brass knuckles. Kaori, Three Dragons, and his thug watched the battered IS pilot. Small amount of blood were on his right cheek as his left eye was slightly injured.

"It seems you've gotten tougher the last time we met," said Three Dragons, taking a large scalpel on the table. "You're still standing, even though we hit you over dozens of times."

"Fuck you."

Three Dragons sliced Liu's lower abs with precision to not damage his nerves. Liu winced in pain, thrashing his feet in pain.

"Aaaah, aaahhh!"

Three Dragons pointed his torture device at Liu, blood dripping from the tip of the blade.

"Remember what I said to you last time? I want something from you. How do you like Nightmare?"

Liu growled like a dragon, seeing his hated adversary as he refused to disclose information about his IS. If this was Three Dragons' choice to get information out of Liu, he would have to do harder than that to break Liu.

Three Dragons slowly cut up Liu's abdomen with a scalpel to extract information about Nightmare.

"AAAAAHHHHH!" Liu screamed in pain, feeling the stinging effect of the cut wound that oozed blood. Liu was literally a test subject cut alive at a lab.

"We don't have to keep up with this," Three Dragons cut Liu's right rib cage. "Just tell me what powers Nightmare has."

"Urrrggg…! Son of a bitch, I'll kill you!"

Liu tried his best to not cry out from the sharp cut. Despite being brutally tortured, Liu would not dare to give up Nightmare at his adversary. There's no way in hell Liu will let him have his dirty hands on his personal IS.

"I'll tell you something…" Liu replied. "Nightmare is in right in front of you to have your asshole torn apart."

Three Dragons chuckled at Liu's insult as he cut below Liu's pectorals, causing the latter to yelp in suffering. Three Dragons took in pleasure torturing his fellow Righteousness Union associate for the sake of humiliating Liu.

"Would you like to try a new record? I won't hurt you if you tell me everything about Nightmare."

Liu jeered at Three Dragons as a sign of not yielding. Three Dragons cut Liu's side to hear him cry in pain as if it was his choice of music.

"AAGGHH!" Liu gritted his teeth to muffle his cry. Three Dragons smirked at Liu's tough resistance as he methodically sliced Liu's upper abs. The pain was unbearable for Liu like receiving huge paper cuts, but on a higher scale of 10.

"I'm sorry, what was that you just said to me?" Three Dragons questioned Liu, cutting Liu's middle abs. Liu thrashed around every time Three Dragons cut his body with the scalpel he hated so much looking at it.

"Fuck you!" Liu shouted.

Three Dragons sighed, grabbing a hammer, and swung it at Liu's right shin.

"AAAAHHHH!" Liu screamed in pain, feeling his bones about to break.

Three Dragons had one last trick to damage Liu beyond repair. Three Dragons grabbed a power drill to do the unthinkable. Three Dragons turned the machine on, and drilled Liu's right thigh, tearing his skin and partial of his pants apart. This was a whole new level of pain using a construction tool against a human being.

"AAAAAHHHHH!" Liu's screams echoed the seemingly empty room while Three Dragons continued to drill Liu's thigh with precision to not damage his nerves. Three Dragons continued for nine seconds while Liu screamed nonstop until his voice broke.

Blood oozed from Liu's thigh like a leaking faucet. He was like a dead corpse, unable to move at all from the pain and shock. Three Dragons leaned towards Liu's face distorted in pain, hoping to make him talk.

"Be a good boy, and tell me what you know about Nightmare."

Liu weakly looked at Three Dragons' poker face as he gasped for air. What appeared Liu would finally give up Liu sealed his mouth shut, and spit Three Dragons in the face.

Three Dragons turned his head away, wiping the saliva off his face, feeling pissed off Liu continued to resist. Three Dragons threw the power drill away, and delivered a spinning hook kick at Liu in the chest. The force of the impact broke the duct tape away from the wooden chair, sending Liu flying backwards against the wall.

The kick was powerful enough to send Liu into a bigger shock as if it cracked his chest wide open.

"Major disappointment..." Three Dragons lamented. "If I were you, make better choices in the future. Good luck making your way out."

Three Dragons and Kaori walked away to leave Liu in a bloodied mess. Three Dragons' thug went away to take a bathroom break as Liu struggled to drag his body to the power drill. Under great amount of pain, Liu slowly moved his arms to tear away the duct tape against the power drill. By the time Liu tore the duct tape into pieces, he tried to get up, but Three Dragons' thug knocked him to the ground.

 **"Ni xiang zhi liú xuè?"** (You want to bleed, huh?) The thug said, grabbing Liu's head as he punched him four times.

The thug pulled back his left fist to deliver another strike, but Liu blocked the assault, and punched the thug's cheek that stunned him momentarily. Feeling pissed off, the thug revealed some sort of weapon before he removed the cloth, revealing a bloodied dōzuki.

 **"Ni-!"** (You!)

The thug charged towards Liu with his dōzuki, intending to stab him in the gut.

Rin searched frantically at every building at the underworld, and time was running out. Rin travelled at high rate of speed, not slowing down at all. After agonizing seconds of searching the seemingly empty buildings, Rin found the run-down building that matched the descriptions from Laura and Liu's mission.

Rin charged her Ryuhou at maximum capacity, and fired invisible bullets at the building. The thug nearly succeeded stabbing Liu, but the impact from the Ryuhou threw him off balance that disarmed his weapon. If it weren't for Rin's grand opening, Liu would have died immediately.

Liu saw the advantage, and punched the thug. Liu was still in pain as he catches his breath every time he threw a punch. They traded blows momentarily until Liu got the upper hand slowly. Rin Liu mercilessly beating up the thug, and she couldn't believe the horrendous torture Three Dragons had done to him. Liu was cut seven times with blood dripping out of his body as he was barely human anymore. His knuckles, face, and body were bruised, filled with small cuts, but that didn't stop Liu from pummeling the thug's face until he was disfigured.

"Liu!" Rin yelled to the dragon. "Stop this right now!"

Liu's rage blinded him, ignoring the fact he was beating up "Three Dragons". Fists smashed the thug's face dozens of times with Liu's eyes filled with intense rage like a dragon. He was inches away from killing the thug.

"Stop, Liu!" Rin yelled again, walking towards the raging dragon. "That's not Three Dragons!"

Liu's emotions got the best of him because he couldn't hear Rin's voice. He was so bent on killing Three Dragons that if he looked closely, Liu should have stopped his assault. Rin trembled in fear that Liu was about to make another mistake. The thug attempted to retrieve his dōzuki, but Liu swiped the bloodied backsaw away. One more punch was the last straw to kill the thug, and Rin had no choice, but to take action.

"Liu, STOPPP!" Rin yelled, tackling Liu to the ground. His fist connected to the wall that was inches away from the thug's disfigured face. Liu struggled to break free, but Rin hugged him tightly with all her strength. Corralling a dragon sky high on rage wasn't easy at all, but Rin can't let his blind vengeance consume him.

"GET OFF OF ME! THREE DRAGONS ISN'T GETTING AWAY!"

Liu attempted to break free, but Rin slammed him against the wall to contain the angry dragon. Few seconds of squirming and thrashing around, Rin stopped the rampaging dragon for good as she continued to hug him tightly.

"Look at me, Liu," Rin said. "Calm down, I'm right here for you..."

Liu's rage slowly subsided as he stared at Rin, cupping his cheeks. Her soft hands stroked his bruised cheeks while his eyes turned back to normal. Rin was scared that Liu might attack her, but the way she yelled out to reach his heart did him in. Liu's breathing was barely normal as Rin lifted his cheeks with a concerned face.

"Everything's going to be okay," Rin pleaded. "Like I always said...you'll be okay with me. Just please hang on t-to..."

Rin can't take it anymore seeing Liu butchered up, especially the scalpel scars oozing blood. Rin tried to hold back her tears, but she sobbed as tears dripped to her cheeks, blood stained on her uniform. Liu felt immense guilt from his blind rage, and he hugged her back. Liu could not believe his emotions got the best of him, shaking his head in disbelief as he stared at the battered thug, and Rin crying.

"I-I'm…sorry…" Liu whispered weakly from the brutal torture.

Rin hugged his head before she transported him to a nearby hospital. The building was a mess thanks to Kaori and Rin. While Liu was taken away to have his injuries treated, Rin retreat to the Academy.

* * *

It's been a week Rin has heard from Liu. Rin was worried of Liu's health ever since she sent him to the hospital to treat his torture wounds. Rin knew the Academy's infirmary would not have right resources to treat torture wounds. Laura gave Chifuyu the evidence she and Liu acquired from the mission. Chifuyu inspected the contents as she set them on the table. Rin, Ichika, and the gang gathered around, and shuddered seeing the narcotics in front of them.

"What happened to you and Liu?" Chifuyu questioned.

"We swept the building on the second floor that was a Titan –M5 lab," Laura replied. "Turns out Titan –M5 was not the only drug because we also found cocaine, drug money, and guns. We got attacked by Kaori, and Liu sacrificed himself to save me."

Laura did not like to deliver the bad news, but she had to tell Chifuyu everything, even if it meant facing the harsh reality. Chifuyu frowned at the outcome, even though the mission was a success, but she felt like it's a failure when Liu got captured by Kaori, one of Chifuyu's despised enemies.

"Who's responsible for this to produce these drugs?" Cecilia said in disgust.

"I got a glimpse of the dealer," Laura blurted out. "He wore a brown jacket, black shirt, and khaki jeans."

Chifuyu wrote the descriptions of the dealer as Laura continued the description of the dealer.

"5'9", 188 lbs, mid 20s male, grey cap, green eyes."

With the evidence and the descriptions of the dealer, Chifuyu got everything she needed to start an operation.

"You've done well enough, Laura. We're in a war against Phantom Task. This is how we tackle them right here."

Chifuyu revealed a holographic projector with Phantom Task agents, and other members in a diagram. Ichika was speechless at her older sister's thorough work of being organized.

"Orimura sensei, can't we just go after the head to make things easier for ourselves?" Ichika said.

"Going after Squall does not get us anywhere, one of her top agents would take over, and we'll be right back where we started. To bring down Phantom Task, we need to take down the people at the base, and work our way up."

Chifuyu pointed the key figures on the chart as the gang listened carefully.

"First, we go after those that have connections to Phantom Task. Then, once they're taken care of, we dismantle their operations. That's where they make money and recruiting IS pilots, and cut the brakes on them. The more we cut their lines, the easier it will be to draw out Three Dragons, Kaori, and the top players, which is where we hit them where it hurts."

Chifuyu was dead serious on the operation she set up as the gang finalized the notes in their mind.

"Which one are we going after first?" said Houki.

"We will get the dealer first," Chifuyu replied. "Operation Exorcist will begin soon. Be aware of your surroundings. Until then, you're dismissed!"

The gang dispersed to go on their lives while Rin finished her homework on the computer. Just as Rin was about to finish, her iPhone 6 rang out, and it was Liu.

"Liu? Hey…how are you doing at the hospital?" Rin said.

"I'm all right for now. The doctors and nurses know how to take care of my injuries, but I'm bored to death being stuck in my bed. I would like to request some items."

"Oh what do you need?"

"Let's see, new clothes, bottle of water, and a haircut please."

"Haircut?" Rin questioned the third request.

"Yeah, a haircut please, my hair grows out pretty fast, and I need to have it cut."

"Oh…I'll be there soon."

Rin was baffled at Liu's request to have a haircut because she has never cut hair before. Let alone, Rin saw how Liu got his haircut so many times, but doing it for the first time was a starter. Nevertheless, Rin got the items Liu requested, and activated Phoenix to fly towards the hospital.

* * *

 **Time: 4:42PM – Hospital**

"Room 15, 16…here it is, Room 17," Rin searched the room to see Liu. When Rin opened the door, she saw her dragon still in bed, staring at the ceiling. Liu's face was mere boredom until he saw the tiger with two bags on her hands.

"Liu…"

The boy removed the blanket and upper gown that exposed his scalpel scars still visible, but less bloody. Even though Liu did not appear broken last time, the memories of him tortured were still there to see. The sight of seeing her man Rin loved made her concerned. What would Liu think of the outcome of sacrificing himself to save Laura?

"Are you all right, buddy?" Rin patted his right shoulder.

Liu frowned seeing the scars that painted his body, and shook his head. Even though Rin appeared fine on the outside, she was sad on the inside seeing the aftermath of the dragon. Without saying a word, Liu revealed his scar on his right thigh that was unpleasant. Rin felt uncomfortable, but those were the results of Three Dragons tortured Liu to extract information about Nightmare. Liu endured the brutal torture without spilling information, and Three Dragons got empty hands.

"I'll give you a haircut that you requested. This will cheer you up."

Rin helped Liu to his feet as they walk towards the bathroom. Liu limped, and painkillers kept him from collapsing. Rin turned the faucet on to wash Liu's messy hair while she used shampoo and conditioner to get his hair clean and manageable. Rin formed a line backwards from his head's temple on both sides, and connect it with a straight line in the backhead. Rin combed the hair away before she blow dry his hair for a short time.

Liu could have called a barber he would get haircuts from him regularly, but he did not want to bother him. Although Liu was slightly nervous to let Rin cut his hair, given that it was her first time, he gave her a chance.

"How did Kaori knew you and Laura were in the building?" Rin asked, trimming the lower part of the sides and the backhead with a scissor upwards.

Snip, snip

"I don't know, she came out of nowhere, and attacked us without warning. Kaori separated me from Laura before she tied me up into a chair for Three Dragons."

Rin created a gradient on the sides at the backhead and fringe as she used a thinning scissor to make the hair less weighty that will be easier to style.

"Perhaps Kaori was on the same mission as you and Laura to retrieve a sample of Titan –M5," said Rin, blow-drying his hair backwards to create the slick back effect.

Rin used the thinning scissor again to trim the hairstyle into its final shape. Liu's excessive hair was cut down into pieces while Rin used an electric trimmer to cut around the edges. Liu's hair was naturally smooth that allowed Rin to use a straightener to lock his hair into a slick position.

"The next thing I knew, Three Dragons used a scalpel to cut my body up seven times, hammer to break my shin, and…a power drill on my thigh." Liu groaned.

The power drill was overkill and brutal to be used as a torture tool. Liu felt inclined to get Three Dragons even more thanks to the scars Three Dragons inflicted on Liu. If Rin was there, she would also gone berserk, and the way to calm her down was to use physical force like Rin did to Liu.

"Barbaric, that's all I can say," Rin replied. "Three Dragons made a huge mistake torturing you, along with Kaori, and they will get what they deserved."

On the final touch, Rin applied American Crew forming cream to give it extreme hold, and tada! Rin gave Liu a haircut, his 1940's slick back ( **AN: Google G-Eazy)**. Liu was satisfied with the haircut he received from Rin that she nailed it like a pro.

"There you go, hope you like the haircut," said Rin, washing his face. Liu smiled, but that smile dropped instantly as he remembered being tortured by Three Dragons.

"Three Dragons went overboard to kill you, what was he trying to accomplish?"

"He was not even close to kill me, Rin. Three Dragons tried to extract information about Nightmare by torturing me. Three Dragons would not get anything out of it if he killed me right away. Besides, that shitstain liked to take his time to weaken me before he can slay me easier."

Rin gave Liu a bottle of water, followed by a Mantou as a snack. After Liu downed his bottle of water, and the slightly sweet steamed bun, Liu felt better to have his body nourished.

"Here are your new clothes," said Rin, unpacking new clothes on the stool.

Liu wore a white t-shirt, Lanvin quilted bomber jacket, Saint Laurent classic slim jeans, Common Projects Achilles sneakers. Liu checked his new appearance that made him fresh and clean before he checked his iPhone 6 with the anonymous text message he received not too long ago.

"Who sent you this message?" Rin questioned.

Liu read the message once again, and the word 'Lion Heart' made him more suspicious. Liu can't sit this one out because it might bother him once again. The way to solve it is to confront it in person. When Liu put his phone away, he stared at the door with intention to leave.

"Wait! You can't go out like this," Rin grabbed his shoulder with concern. "I don't want you taken away again, especially today."

Liu thought back for a while, but changed his mind to go after the anonymous text message.

"Rin, as much I like you, but this Lion Heart knows me and my goals. If I sit this one out, there's no other way to get Three Dragons. Or worse, Lion Heart will go after us instead."

Liu gave Rin a reassured look as he let her hand off his shoulder. Rin frowned, but it has to be done for Liu to settle this. Feeling defeated, Rin dropped her shoulders, but Liu kissed her on the forehead before Liu walked away.

"Please come back in one piece when you're done with this," said Rin.

Liu turned around with a smile as he left the hospital. Liu made another phone call at an alley way.

"Long Hair, this is Liu. I need a gun, and some ammo. Make it concealable, not a big one, okay? I don't want to fuck around."

Two minutes later, a person with long black hair walked towards Liu with a QSZ-92 and four clips. Liu checked his sidearm that was fully loaded with the safety on as he put his gun and ammo clips on his waist. Long Hair walked away while Liu walked towards the underworld to meet the Lion Heart.

 _Lion Heart, you and I are going to have a one-on-one time._


	24. The Lion

**Opening song: G-Eazy & Carnage – Gimme Gimme**

 **Time: 4:50PM – Underworld**

Liu donned new clothes he received from Rin as he walked down the streets of the underworld. Some may call it paradise or a playground with no rules, but in the end, the hub is simply known as underworld. It's a criminal center that was made by crooks all around the world for common interests of money, power, and respect.

Worst villains, criminals, addicts, mercenaries, killers, psychopaths, and misguided people compose the population of the underworld. Liu knew the inside out of the underworld because not all people are trustworthy to work with. Even though they appear nice on the outside, some can be snakes to stab each other for many reasons. People get killed over small disputes, selling their souls for a pot of gold, or beefs to settle. Then again, it's a daily routine at the underworld.

Why would Liu be at the underworld? Oh yes, Liu has to confront the sender, aka Lion Heart of the anonymous text message he received. Some people eyeballed Liu's attire, but he could care less about them as he approached the meeting place, The Central View restaurant.

The Central View restaurant is one of the criminals' favorite places to relax. It's a disreputable place that the worst criminals of the underworld pass time between missions. The restaurant was packed as usual with crooks minding their own business with firearms on the table. Liu was about to arrange a table, but he saw a boy with a silver lion chain necklace already ordered one with an extra seat for Liu.

Liu walked towards the mysterious boy as he sat on a chair, staring face to face. For starters, the boy had long silver hair that stretched down to his shoulders. He wore a black blindfold as he could not see, but there are ways to see than just his two eyes.

The Japanese boy wore a black leather bomber jacket with a fur trim collar, V-neck white shirt, and black pants with two interconnecting belts, black boots and gloves. Cuffs of fur decorated on his wrists, back, and right waist. The pants held a lion belt buckle, and top it off, his lion necklace that described the blind boy.

The boy's attire was almost similar to Liu's, but he begged to differ because Liu's clothing was subtle approach, minus the fur and belts. Liu put his QSZ-92 on the table with the safety switch off as the latter gently laid down his customized M9 Beretta. Their pistols pointed at each other to show that they are not here to fuck around.

"I have always loved the stars. They give such clarity yet their light is so dim from here in the underworld."

Liu was confused at the boy's greeting as he cleaned the fine China and silverware with a napkin.

"I assume you're Lion Heart, what do you want from me?" Liu questioned.

"Patience, we can still achieve what I promised. I am Raiden Hataru. You are more than just an IS pilot or a member of the Righteousness Union, Liu King-Sang. To call you either is to ignore your true self. It is why you have earned my respect. I called you here so that we might speak undisturbed."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean? I don't even have time to talk to someone as suspicious to wear a blindfold, Squall Leonhart," said Liu in disgust.

Raiden chuckled at the insult Liu hurled. To Raiden, Liu was no threat, and he could have his head served on the platter in an instant. However, Raiden isn't here to fight, he was here to make a deal with the dragon.

"On the contrary, time is all you will need. Besides, you focus too much on the past. All things evolve."

Liu did not like Raiden the moment he talked philosophical. Was this supposed to be an insult to Liu, or to show off his intelligence?

Raiden revealed a hologram and, to Liu's shock, it is the gang, including Chifuyu.

"Your companions. You keep them blind to that of the real world from which you are born."

Raiden pointed out each of the girls and Ichika as Liu stared at the projector.

"The prideful samurai…a naive brother...the arrogant noble...a deranged animal...the angel of wrath...a flawed creation...the mischievous trickster...a fearful child...and a old relic."

Raiden's descriptions of the gang were about right, but Liu did not understood what Raiden really want from him.

"One feeds my passion more than all the others combined," Liu referred to Rin. "We've shared our love together."

"Passion fades with distance. Love withers when it is neglected. Left alone too long, love will seek another."

"I will always be with her, no matter what is thrown at us."

"Each day, they drift further out of reach. Without a center to hold, without us, Tabane's world and all within it spiral into chaos."

"Her fate was already sealed the moment you stepped into each other's lives. The book is already complete."

Liu frowned at Raiden's remark like he was a fortune teller. Raiden, on the other hand kept his cool to continue the conversation.

"They outlived their purpose to you long ago. Yet still, you permit them to live."

Liu thought for a while that he spends most of his time with the gang, but he did not abandon them for the sole purpose of getting Three Dragons.

"They belong together ever since they heard Three Dragons' wrath," Liu replied. "We shared mutual interest of stopping his tracks for good. They are not meant to be thrown away since they are the Academy's best students."

"At least you admit the truth."

The boys stared at the menu for a minute before the waitress came to their table.

 **"Nǐ hao, nǐ xiǎng chī shénme?"** (Hello, what would you like to eat?)

 **"Wǒ yào zhájiàngmiàn, wǔxiāng yú, báijiǔ, gòngjú."** (I want fried sauce noodles, fish cooked with five-spice powder, white alcohol, and Chrysanthemum tea.)

Raiden was somewhat surprised that Liu can also speak Mandarin as he placed an order for his meal. Liu preferred to speak Cantonese, but he will sometimes speak Mandarin depending on the people he is having a conversation with.

"Bento, bonito sashimi, sake, ocha."

The waitress wrote down the orders before she send it to the kitchen. Raiden craned his neck while Liu rested his hands on the table.

 **"Zhēn yǒu nǐ de,"** (You're really something else.) Raiden complimented. **"Qǐng nǐ duōduō bāohan."** (Please bear with me.)

Liu did not take kind at the lion's compliment. **"Wǒ bù shì shuō nǐ, wǒ méi shí me yìn xiàng. Nǎr gēn nǎr?"** (No offense, I'm not impressed at all. What's that got to do with it?)

 **"Bù yào fàng zài xīn shàng, Liu,"** (Don't take it to heart, Liu) Raiden replied.

Liu wished Raiden did not address him in Mandarin as their conversation was a rocky start. The boys took a glance at the criminals chatting with their accomplices as a few patrons stared back in curiosity before diverting their own attention. They know better not to interrupt the Righteousness Union dragon and the mysterious lion.

The waitresses set the food and drinks down for Raiden and Liu as they grabbed their respective dishes. Liu ate his bowl of noodles while Raiden ate his scrupulous traditional bento box.

"Can you sense the predators around us? They smell your weakness, your fears..."

Liu glanced at the criminals again that minded their own business, and he did not believe Raiden's word at all.

"I had always intended to visit the Academy," said Raiden, dipping the sashimi with wasabi and soy sauce. "I thought I would have the time. Delightful."

"Hold up…you were a student from the Academy?"

As Liu ate his seafood dish, Raiden wiped his mouth with a napkin.

"More than you think, Liu," Raiden gestured with his finger. "In the early days of the IS, I alone was the first to pilot them. But I was kept a secret because the politicians believed me to be too...dangerous with my powers. If only the Brunhilde was not so compliant."

Liu appeared somewhat surprised when Raiden mentioned the Brunhilde. "You knew her? Then how come you couldn't have mentioned you and Chifuyu were acquaintances?"

"I wanted to see what Chifuyu would do. In the end, Chifuyu chose to place her trust in you."

"Oh is that so?" asked Liu. "That must have been the reason Rin enrolled me in the Academy to keep my ass out of trouble."

"I granted Chifuyu the freedom to make her own decision. Just as I have with you. I did not force you in my message to meet me."

Liu drank baijiu while the lion ate the remains of his sashimi before downing with hot sake. The Triad gangster was fed up with Raiden still talking philosophical.

"You claim you want to help, but you are still playing the same old head games, Valkorion."

"You ask for a simple answer, yet you look to only the surface and not to the roots or the core of the apple tree."

Liu did not like the conversation that's been going on as they drank their respective beverages. Raiden can tell Liu still has a long way to improve his IS skills as he gave him some useful tips, or so it may be.

"You have mastered the basics of the IS. It is not enough. It never was because you will never be able to beat Three Dragons, even with your IS."

The moment Raiden mentioned the Triad gangster's IS, Nightmare, Liu felt offended that it struck his nerve.

"I'm warning you…you better watch your tongue, Raiden."

"You think secrets grant you power. That striking from the shadows will be enough to stop Three Dragons, you are wrong."

Liu's eyes flare open with sheer incredulity. "... I must have misheard you. You better hope I did, otherwise you're a dead man."

"Nightmare is with you, Triad, but it will not defeat Three Dragons. It never could."

"Do you want me to teach you how to smoke through your forehead?"

Raiden puts his ocha down ominously. "Your IS, weapons, and instincts are not enough to secure victory, Triad. You're nothing more than a common criminal hiding behind a gun. While you have survived many battles, you are merely human, and you have not ascended."

Liu was frozen in pure rage, but it's abruptly gone as he gave a cold dead look in his eyes. "That's a goddamn shame. You just stepped on the edge of a big-ass minefield."

Liu drew his QSZ-92, cocking the hammer and aimed at Raiden's forehead. Those that heard the sound of the steel stopped the commotion to watch the event unfold. Upon closer look, Liu's finger was off the trigger with no intention to kill Raiden. Liu simply gave a warning to Raiden.

Raiden was cool as a cucumber that he did not flinch from being held at gunpoint by Liu.

"Like I said, a real shame that you made do this to you. This is my last warning, Raiden. Don't ever do that ever again, got it?"

Raiden narrowed his senses. "Talking is your greatest talent. It is time I teach you to listen."

Liu cursed in his mind as he calm down his nerves to put his pistol to the table. Liu regretted meeting Raiden, but it's too late to turn around. Liu sighed to give in as Raiden maintained his composure.

"Until you embrace your full potential, you will only be a pawn to fate, never from the master itself."

Instead of talking back, Liu finally listened to what Raiden has to say.

"Your goal is not to survive. It is to rule. There is nothing else."

To rule is something some people can't resist, but Liu did not jumped up and down to beg Raiden of how to achieve it. The boys finished their alcohol as they drank tea.

"Do not mistake a simple machine crafted by a prey of a predator for its potential. It is within the core, the very heart of the IS, where the truth lies, something the both of us have discovered. Not even Tabane can comprehend what she had created."

The Central View was still packed with criminals going in and out of the eatery as more people wait in line to get a table.

"The future is not a river to carry us. It is an ocean in which we drown if we are not prepared."

The more Liu has to hear Raiden talking philosophical, the more he has the urge to draw his gun again. But Liu cannot do that, or he will get nothing out of it.

"The IS Academy. You were always superior to the power hungry fools in charge here. I never understood how you could answer to these naive younglings and their masters, especially if one of them is a foolish, pathetic little brother of a sister."

Liu had his right arm rest behind the chair. "Sometimes I ask myself that question too during my stay at the Academy."

"This Academy is not worth saving and the Righteousness Union is not worth destroying. There is a greater purpose waiting for both of us."

"Yeah I don't agree with you saying the Academy is not worth saving," Liu replied. "I'm not on the same boat as you to have a greater purpose, especially with you."

"The glory of the IS Academy has been tainted by fools who seek power and recognition through the IS itself, but it can be restored. Even now, I have spies within relaying every information to me they can about their superiors, the Brunhilde included."

Liu felt like Raiden wanted to pry him away from Ichika and the girls he lived with. Sure, Liu had some issues, but he felt the connection hanging out with them. There's no way Liu agreed with the comment.

"For years, you survived with your will alone. You slaughtered all those who stood in your way, and never cared for the consequences."

Liu tensed, and then looked at the lion. "That's how criminals function every day. What are you trying to say?"

"You are driven by revenge, but you require fate's compliance." Raiden pointed. "You are above such negotiations. Destiny is merely the conduit of your will."

Liu pretended he understood another philosophical talk while he was getting sick of him talking nonsense. In reality, Raiden talked in English to make Liu comprehend it by himself.

"Three Dragons believed there is no greater power than destiny. And he would do anything to ensure you are swept away. But you know better than him..."

The boys finished their meals, which was the appropriate time for Raiden to discuss the deal.

"I assume that from your recent scars, you must realize that your last tactic will not work again."

Liu's day could not get any worse. First was meeting the philosophical blindfold lion. Second was Raiden's knowledge of Liu tortured by Three Dragons like he was psychic. Liu was really feeling it to show him equal.

"The fuck? How did you know I was…bullshit!"

Raiden remained emotionless, indifferent to everything, yet seemingly genuine.

"The long-lived bird and dragon knew you escaped from their grip when they attempted to extract information out of you about Nightmare. In the end, their pawn was nearly broken into pieces."

"The next time I see that pok gai, I will turn him into mince meat."

"Pitiful. Why did I ever believe you could do anything?"

"You have no idea what I am capable of," Liu replied in a cold tone.

"And neither do you," Raiden retorted. "Therein lays the problem. What Three Dragons did to you is only a fraction of the pain he can cause, and that small scratch pales in comparison to his true power. If you do not finish your training by then, become something greater, you will feel the full weight of your fall."

"Yeah I get what you mean," said Liu. "I have to finish my training in order to defeat Three Dragons."

"I alone know where Three Dragons headquarters are, but every demand comes with a price."

Liu wanted to get to the bottom of this, and Raiden granted the wish by the demands he wanted. Liu sighed as Raiden began the negotiation. Before Raiden began, Liu thought of something he did not like to predict.

"Don't even think about using Rin at all, or I'll slice your sorry ass into Nigiri," Liu warned Raiden.

"At ease, I'm not using anyone but you for the deal."

Liu shook his head while Raiden poured ocha. A waitress set a plate of Daifuku for dessert as Liu took a bite of the mochi stuffed with anko.

"What do you know about Titan –M5?" Raiden questioned, drinking ocha.

Liu remembered the mission he and Laura went to retrieve a sample of the stimulant drug. Not only they found one, they found a whole batch of them that's sitting in the Academy as evidence.

"An illegal stimulant drug made by traitorous scientists made specifically for IS pilots," Liu responded. "They conducted several tests of Titan –M5 to the point it does not show side effects at all."

Raiden acknowledged the answer as the lion asked another question, eating the dessert.

"Do you know where they are produced?"

"A two-story building five miles away from here produced the drugs. Not too long ago, two criminals bought them from a dealer."

Raiden sought interest of Titan –M5 not for consumption, but he wanted one for evidence to catch dangerous crooks easier.

"Very well then, I would like to have one as well in exchange, I'll grant your family, Righteousness Union out of eyesight from law enforcement. Also, I know someone that got a location of Three Dragons' operations."

Liu blinked in confusion at the lion's request.

"You're kidding me, right?" Liu questioned. "You can actually grant immunity to one of the biggest Triad of all?"

Raiden nodded his head that he was serious about it, but Liu sensed distrust from the lion.

"I doubt that you will live up to the end of my bargain."

Raiden responded. "This is not an offer of trust. It's merely a revelation to open your eyes to the truth."

The dragon groaned in disgust that he has no choice, but to accept the deal. "Fine, I'll give you a sample of Titan –M5, but remember the agreement."

Liu already sold his soul to the devil. More like Liu sold his soul to the lion for making a deal with Raiden.

"The Righteousness Union and their consultations in too many ways, you remain bound to that order...as you rightfully should."

"Of course," Liu scoffed the obvious. "That's my family that raised me on my feet to stand."

"We are of one purpose. But your mind is your own. Use it well and you will succeed."

A waiter set the bill, and before Liu could take out his wallet, Raiden already pried his money.

"No need to pay me back," said Raiden, giving the money and the bill to the waiter. "This is my treat for you."

"Fine by me."

* * *

Raiden and Liu retrieved their pistols as they leave the restaurant to took a stroll at the underworld. So far, Raiden got Liu cooperating to set a deal with him, which was finding a sample of Titan –M5 for Raiden, and information about Three Dragons. In exchange, Raiden will give Righteousness Union out of trouble from law enforcement, along with revealing Three Dragons' whole operation. A black Toyota Vellfire and Crown Majesta with occupants inside the luxury vehicles observed the boys from the side.

"Target Liu is out in the open. Ladies, you may engage when you're ready."

What the boys did not realize was the occupants inside the black vehicles are gunmen associated with Kaori. Seven gunmen loaded their Glock 22 while the other loaded a Brügger & Thomet MP9, and performed a brass check on their firearms. The two women in the Crown Majesta remained silent as the vehicles drove to the other side for better observation.

"You have two destinies, Liu King-Sang. One, you defeat Three Dragons, claim his resources, and rule the Righteousness Union as Dragon Head. In the other, you die alone, and forgotten. I brought you here to taste that defeat."

"Yeah right, two destinies pain in my ass," Liu scoffed at Raiden. "Get off my dick, bitch."

Raiden looked at Liu indifferent as he glanced at the black Toyota vehicles. Raiden was aware trouble would be brewing, but he did not warn Liu. The boys walked through the nicer part of the underworld filled with several high end stores, cars, cleaner streets, and rich criminals. However, that only meant it's a lot more dangerous than the projects itself.

The two luxury vehicles that spied on the boys sped up, and blocked their path. Without warning, seven gunmen hopped out, and fired their Glock 22, taking cover behind the cars. The boys' fast reaction saved them from being shot at as they dove behind a car, readying their pistols.

"Who the hell are they?" Liu shouted.

"We're here to fuck you up!" said the gunman.

"They speak of envy. Three Dragons' weakness," Raiden replied, opening the passenger doors. "Do not let it be yours."

As the boys open fired their pistols at the criminals, the crowd dispersed immediately upon hearing the gunshots. While they have firearms and unconventional weapons to defend themselves, they know better not to interrupt the battle, or they will end up getting killed in the process, especially Raiden and Liu. The gunmen's .40 S&W pierced through car windshields and metal, shattering the peaceful afternoon with hail of bullets and gunpowder.

Raiden and Liu exchanged fire with Kaori's gunmen, but they were not mere street thugs because they are professional. Kaori's gunmen used the environment to their advantage by firing through windows as they crept at various cars to confuse the boys. Raiden's M9 Beretta ripped through the opposing car doors, but its marks did not hit one of the gunmen. Liu fired his QSZ-92 at the gunmen taking cover behind a pickup truck. The gun battle was a stalemate because none of the gunmen or the boys got shot while the two women in the Crown Majesta calmly watched the shootout, ingesting Titan -M5.

Raiden quickly reloaded his M9 Beretta before he returned fire. A lone gunman fired his MP9 at Liu ducking against the fully automatic fire that lasted two seconds before it ran out of ammo. To draw Liu out of cover, he threw an M26 frag grenade. The small bomb bounced along the sidewalk, and exploded with a 75m range, destroying nearby stores. Smoke erupted from the crater while the gunman reloaded his gun to burst fire.

Raiden shot the gunman in the right arm and collarbone as Liu gunned down the other in the chest. The gunman moved in slowly to get a shot at Liu crouching behind a van. He fired his MP9, however, Raiden found an opening, and fired underneath the car. The bullets shot him in the ankle twice as he stumbled sideways, and fired one handed, but Liu shot him in the right shoulder. The three wounded gunmen did not give up that easily as they fired relentlessly while they dragged themselves behind the cars.

One by one, they found themselves outmatched against Raiden and Liu when their ammunition was depleting. They stopped firing while Liu advanced forward, and Raiden stayed behind cover. This was a costly move for Liu because he was wide open to get shot. The injured gunman reloaded his gun one-handed, since his arm was hurt from the gunshot wound. A stray bullet grazed Liu in the left shoulder that he winced in pain. Liu tried to kill him, but the gunman crawled behind a van to avoid Liu's barrage. Another gunman released the pin of his Mk 2 grenade, and hurled towards Liu. Five seconds before detonation, Raiden dragged Liu behind a car, and the pineapple grenade exploded with shrapnel while the latter continued to fire his QSZ-92.

Once the smoke cleared out from the grenade, a gunman saw the two women exited the vehicle, and he emptied his Glock 22. The gunmen retreat to let the young women finish the job. One woman walked towards the boys, deploying her .61 caliber sub machine gun, and sprayed up the cars with a burst of weaponfire. Liu materialized Nightmare right on time, but he was shocked to see Raiden in his personal IS, Lion Heart.

Raiden was coated in silver fully armored from head to toe. The helmet was shaped like a lion with the lower jaw exposed. The leg armor has some slight telltale signs resembling Rafale Revive Custom II, but it's thinner and more rounded at the knees to give it an aerodynamic look. The armor was angled to counteract melee weapons thanks to its two large smooth spike-like tips that passed the wrists and elbows. Hands are fully claws like that of a lion, but more human. Waist armor had shallower angles to guard crotch and spine. Wings are like Byakushiki, but it's thinner and less bulky.

"Hold up…you didn't tell me you had a personal IS," said Liu.

"As I've said, I was a student at the Academy. Did you not hear me?" Raiden responded, flying upward to engage his opponent.

In response, the rogue IS pilots materialized red Fang Quake as one of them deployed her .81 heavy caliber battle rifle. She cocked her rifle, took aim, and rained down blazing red projectiles. Liu zigzagged across the street, avoiding her semi-automatic fire that destroyed private properties instantly while he fired back with Venom Slug. Liu and the pilot exchanged fire at each other as the former flew over his opponent to get a better kill shot.

Liu's foe pursued him while firing her rifle as projectiles blew past each other so fast one would not be able to see it. The pilot fired her last shot, and she realized her rifle ran out of ammo. Liu saw an opening to turn the tables around. The pilot tried to reload, but Liu swiped it away with his Heavenly Emperor, forcing the latter to draw her katana.

The pilot grunted in frustration, viciously swinging her katana at Liu while he deflected her barrage. Sparks flied from the clashing blades. Liu parried the overhead swing before he countered with a left diagonal cut, followed by a right horizontal slash to the chest. The pilot winced in slight pain as she used her strength to hurl a bus at Liu. He sliced the bus in half, but she launched into the air, and struck Liu in the collarbone with her katana, who then hit her so hard her helmet visor shattered. The pilot swung her katana wildly as Liu sidestepped, and cleaved off her weapon. She tried to draw her wakizashi, but Liu slammed her into a store.

Smoke and debris erupted from the ruined store. The battle ended with the pilot heavily damaged, but she was alive and dazed.

Up in the air, Raiden exchanged fire at his opponent with his twin gunblade, Blazefire Saber while his foe fired relentlessly with her sub machine gun. Raiden ducked under from the hail of bullets and shot multiple times, only for the projectiles to explode at each other. Raiden evaded the pilot's rain of fire with a twirl motion.

Raiden's foe jumped over him and onto a wall before Raiden charged forth and sliced her gun in two. She seemed to have submitted defeat, only for her to pull out her katana, catching Raiden by surprise as he nearly dodged the attack. She then takes to the skies with Raiden in pursuit before their blades, flying in all directions.

The two of them crashed through a building during which a chase was given while dodging debris. Landing on a roof of another building, the pilot clenched her katana before Raiden appeared from behind, and fired two lascannons from his shoulders. The impact shot her in the chest, but she managed to avoid Raiden's vertical strike. The pilot was overwhelmed by the lion's sheer force as she tried to evade the hail of lasers. Raiden broke her defense with a shot to the stomach. The pilot clutched in pain before she was pummeled by the lion's slash before he delivered a knee to the face sent her flying and crashed against a wall.

She slashed away the sword pointed at her neck and swung her katana in a frenzied pace at Raiden, only for him to dodge, and punched the pilot. In a fit of rage, she launched forward with a last resort stab until Raiden disarmed her katana. Raiden threw the pilot into the air, unleashing a series of slashes at the pilot, destroying her energy shields with blood being drawn out. After one last stab, Raiden threw her to the ground so hard she created a giant crater. She couldn't move due to her wounds as Raiden descended and pointed his gunblade to her neck.

The boys deactivated their personal IS, dragging the pilots onto the sidewalk to begin the interrogation.

"Who sent you here?" Liu said, grabbing the IS pilot by the collar.

"You're never going to get answers from me," the IS pilot replied, gritting her teeth.

Raiden nodded at Liu to make her talk as Liu pressured at the enemy pilot. The other IS pilot was in no better shape because she was out of energy to fight back. She tried to get up, but her body said no.

"Bring in the table."

Liu dragged the pilot onto the electric saw table as Raiden turned the machine on. The jagged saw spun at high rate of speed as Liu continued to grab the pilot's collar.

"Stop, stop!"

"Let me ask you this question once again, who sent you here?"

The pilot had her hands up as fear drew close to her face. She tried to resist, but every time she did, Liu slowly pushed her head near the saw. The once defiant pilot turned into a harmless scared puppy while the back of the head was inches away from being torn to shreds.

"I don't know, I don't know because I'm not allowed to ask the order I was given!"

"What do you mean you don't know?"

Liu was getting irritated from the pilot playing dumb while in reality, she was being honest.

"I was supposed to break you in exchange for large sum of money."

Liu growled as he pushed her head again when she resisted. A small strain of her hair was sliced into ribbons while Raiden kept a stoic face to watch the interrogation.

"It is merely a simple question to answer. Do not make this worse for yourself than you already have," Raiden warned the pilot. "You're making this worse for yourself."

The pilot tried to speak, but her words won't come out of her mouth due to the immense fear that clouded all over. Liu has the upper hand to end her right away, but he won't get anything out of it.

"I-I...I-"

"Well?" Liu questioned. "Stalling will not work on me."

"Ok, ok! Three Dragons sent me here to give you warning shots when you escaped from his captivity," the pilot pleaded. "Three Dragons gave me Titan -M5 to complete the job. I received my IS from Kaori's supplier, Riichi."

Liu growled like a dragon as he pushed her head a fraction of an inch against the spinning saw. He got what he needed, but Liu and Raiden were not completely finished yet.

"How do I get to them?"

"I only talk to him by phone."

Liu was pissed at the pilot that continued to be defiant, and gave one final push at the saw as small strains of hair were chipped away. One more push could mean having her head turned into a modern art masterpiece.

"Tell me, and I might let you live, you stupid fucker."

"I only talk to him by phone. Here, take it!" The pilot yelled in despair, throwing Titan –M5. She hoped it would ease off the raging dragon.

Liu thought momentarily to make his decision. Either Liu can end the pilot right away, or spare her to not bring unnecessary body count. Liu initially thought of the first choice, but he will not be satisfied by the outcome. Instead, Liu spared the pilot's life as he was done with her. Liu threw the pilot face first to the ground, snatching her iPhone 7 that contained Riichi's contact information, and Titan –M5.

The other pilot's hands were encased in chains, each side holding her arms up. She was on her knees, beaten and bloodied up. Yet ever so, she remained defiant. Unlike her comrade who became fearful of her death, this one claimed she feared nothing. But that will be put to the test.

Raiden approached his prisoner in chains and merely stared at her. When she looked up, she sneered at him. With her teeth showing and her face angry, she tried to lunge at Raiden, but the chains held her down. Raiden was unmoved, keeping his composure as Raiden asked a question.

"Do you know what the secret to life is?" asked Raiden in his usual voice. The pilot remained silent. Walking back and forth, Raiden continued.

"A man can have anything, if he is willing to sacrifice."

With that, Raiden moved his hand gently onto his prisoner's face grasping her head. Then, her eye opened up as flashbacks of her past are seen within her vision. The first vision was of her happy memories, her birth and her parents.

"With your birth came a solemn vow from your parents."

She then remembered playing in the fields with her father and mother before they lay down on the ground looking up to the sky. "You would have nothing. Your privilege is the dirt."

The pilot struggled against Raiden as images of her good life came about.

"In the darkness..." Her vision suddenly became black. "Only death awaits you."

Suddenly, the pilot saw something truly terrifying that not even Liu would want to know. She saw visions of her house on fire, the blood soaking the ground, and screams of terror and death lurking around her as spirits of the deceased people she had killed come back to her, her parents included.

"The oath you swore, the promises you made...are now nothing."

The pilot struggled and then said "Damn you!"

"And when darkness finds you, you fear to face it alone."

Screaming in agony of the vision, Raiden let go of his hand and the pilot gasped for air. Sweat poured from her face as she tried to regain her current vision, her interrogator standing over her.

"You killed your parents with the IS, a weapon never meant to be used in war. And with that betrayal, you struggled alone."

"No! It-It was an accident. I never meant to kill them!" said the pilot with a hint of tears falling from her eyes.

"Now you only work for one who pulls your strings and denies you that which you seek. You are not even worthy to be among the living. But before you depart, I shall ask you of this: What was the purpose of this ambush? Confess and I will let go. Refuse...and I will still let you go."

The IS pilot was confused. What exactly did he mean to let her go? Was this some sort of trick? But seeking salvation, she answered,

"Kaori sent us…we were nothing more than mercenaries sent to rough Liu up as a warning we will get him. In return, we get our payment from Three Dragons."

Raiden was satisfied, but he did not show it. In his mind, this girl had been nothing more than a pawn, a puppet pulled by the strings of the handler. Kneeling down and feigning pity, Raiden says,

"You will have plenty of time to think of your decisions."

With that said, Raiden and Liu confiscated the pilots' IS, and walked away as sirens were getting closer. The pilot still in chains tried to break free, but her resistance was futile.

"You're making a big mistake, you hear? My people are going to cut you into pieces!"

The boys ignored the pilot's threatening messages that she was already defeated. By the time they were out of sight, cops showed up to clear the scene, not before paramedics arrived to treat the injured pilots with medical treatment. After they were cleaned up, officers placed black masks over the pilots' head to hide their identities from the media as they arrested them with ease. They were too tired to resist as they walked in shame with criminals spectated the incident before they were placed in the police cruiser.

By the time cops and paramedics disbursed, the eight gunmen were dazed and injured, but not before they were left standing by a crowd of pissed off criminals. Kaori's gunmen will be forced to pay the damages through labor for disturbing the peace, and pay the damages they caused.

* * *

Raiden and Liu walked far enough away from the scene as they entered a massage parlor. By the time the boys undressed themselves with a towel around their waist, the masseuses were star struck at their muscular bodies. As the boys lie on the bed, they applied massage oil on the boys' body, massaging their muscles.

"Your lack of progress is disturbing," said Raiden. "Your injury from that fight proves that your training is incomplete, for you will never be able to defeat Three Dragons from where you are now."

"You keep saying that I have to become something greater, but you never tell me what that means."

"You demand a simple answer, refusing to look for it within. That is the essence of your failure."

Liu frowned at Raiden's statement as he closed his eyes. Not only Liu did not like Three Dragons, he did not take a liking to Tabane for what she had done to him, primarily when she and Three Dragons held him captive to test out his new IS, Nightmare.

"Trix the dippy rabbit is a genius," said Liu. "However, that does not mean she can rightfully claim the throne to be God."

"The rabbit…I once thought she held the secrets of the IS that even extended to immortality," said Raiden. "Ultimately, I was wrong."

Liu was a little flabbergasted, but was immortality through IS really possible? The ability to stay eternal and live young forever?

"The search for immortality is a dangerous one." said Liu without providing any caution in his voice.

"Only to those limited by their own flesh. Or to those who seek it out of fear of death or of blind ego." said Raiden. "But the body is just a shell, a vessel for the spirit."

"Then who could have the secrets, someone from Phantom Task?"

"Precisely, however, Madoka was far more dangerous than the creator of IS. Unchecked, Madoka was a threat to everything I had planned. And to herself. Her power had to be contained."

"If Madoka was such a threat, you should've killed her years ago," Liu replied.

"In a way, I still felt a slight bit of pity for her. In her, I saw aspects of myself. I thought she could one day become something greater like her sister. But she failed in the end."

"…"

* * *

 **Time: 6:35PM – Academy**

The trip to the underworld came to an end as Raiden and Liu walked on the outskirts of the IS Academy. The sun was down as the afterglow of sunset lingered on the horizon.

"The IS Academy. I clung to that place for too long before I cast it aside as a failed institution," said Raiden in displeasure. "I spent three years in that place. You cannot imagine the reality of what I went through."

Liu cocked his eyebrow. "Why did you call the Academy a failed institution?"

Raiden dodged the question. "This is the empty husk I left behind. But the students could still prove useful to help you take out Three Dragons."

Much to Liu's confusion, Raiden did not answer the dragon's question.

"Fulfill your destiny, and perhaps one day I will return."

Liu shook his head. "I came to meet you because you had vital information. That doesn't meant I want to see you ever again. If you ever come back again, I'll be ready to finish you off."

"You have received all that I can give-for now. One day, there may be more, until then..."

Liu gave Raiden Titan -M5 as part of the deal while Raiden threw Fang Quake standby mode at Liu before he turned his back to walk away. "Just so you know I have never been your enemy. Remember that, and be victorious."

Liu sighed in relief that Raiden was out of sight as he did not want to see his blindfolded face ever again. Liu need a rest from meeting with the philosophical, dangerous lion.

Chifuyu stepped up to him. "Did you have fun going to the underworld?"

Liu nodded. "Better to go out for some fresh air instead of being caged up at this Academy."

The Brunhilde watched the amusement in his face as she kept her cool composure.

"You may be right on that," Chifuyu breathed. "But you did not go to bring us souvenirs. Tell me this, Liu. Did you happen to meet a certain blindfolded boy?"

Liu's eyes never left Chifuyu's serious stare as there's no point to hide. "I just did, and he was a headache to work with."

Chifuyu groaned that Liu struck a deal with Raiden because she had history with him. "I made a deal with him once. Let's just say that it didn't end up exactly how I imagined it would be."

"I assume you two had quite a friendship back then," Liu scoffed.

"A few years ago, I enlisted the help of Raiden to oversee and take out some dangerous crooks, Three Dragons among them before he found out about the IS. This was supposed to be a simple operation of kill or capture, but the methods and techniques Raiden used were...disturbing, to say the least."

Chifuyu had a flashback of her meeting Raiden at a parking lot to give him a list of missions to nab high profile criminals. Chifuyu thought Raiden would be a perfect candidate to complete the tasks, but Raiden had different ways to accomplish them.

"His superiors, though acknowledging he got the mission done, became unpleasant, especially me when I saw the images and videos of what he had done to obtain information. They suspected Raiden to have used advanced techniques derived from me, but I denied them whatsoever, never going that far. I did not expect a lion like him to be so unpredictable and so dangerous, two combinations never to be found in a person ever. Afterwards, Raiden went dark, retreating and plotting as he has always done. To what end or purpose, I do not know. Now he's shown up again, and who knows how much time had passed since I last saw him, not that I ever wanted to see him again. The moral of this story: never make a deal with someone who would achieve their goal by any means necessary."

Liu should have ignored Raiden's text message so he would not be in this predicament. Too bad the dragon struck a deal with a lion, though Liu got what he wanted the most; Three Dragons' location of his operations that will be crucial to Operation Exorcist.

"Raiden is nothing but emotionless and indifferent to everything. He doesn't even care of the casualties lost. He is defined by logic and philosophy alone and that makes him even more dangerous."

"I hate the way Raiden talked to me like he's Valkorion, but in the end, I gave Raiden Titan –M5 as he returned the favor of granting my family immunity, along with Three Dragons' location of his operation."

Chifuyu sighed that the lion went to the extent of giving Righteousness Union a shield to not get nabbed by the feds, which she has huge distaste against organized crimes. Liu received a text message from Raiden that contained the location of Three Dragons' operations. Liu revealed it to the Brunhilde, acknowledging the lion's honesty.

"This is important to begin Operation Exorcist soon enough," said Chifuyu, reading the map. "If I were you, take caution next time you ever see Raiden again. The lion is unpredictable because Raiden is not the type of person to make deals with him."

Liu nodded slowly. "I will be careful, Chifuyu. Until then, I need to get some shut eye."

Chifuyu walked back to her office as she read the files related to Operation Exorcist. The Brunhilde was almost done completing the blueprint as she wrote notes on the pictures of important key figures. Chifuyu poured a cup of Scotch whiskey, and took a full swing of it to ease her mind.

Every time Chifuyu stared at Three Dragons, Kaori, and Shen's name, she placed her hand on her chin ponderously. Chifuyu highlighted their names in blue marker as she took another cup of Scotch. In her mind, Chifuyu heard a chuckle from Raiden, knowing that he is in the shadows.

 _Gloat while you can, Three Dragons, but just so you know, you will collapse from the hands of the law, especially you…Shen._

While Liu was sleeping, he heard a demonic lion growl, indicating Raiden might strike again.

* * *

This chapter took me a while to write it out, though it was a fun one. Shouts out to TalonAlpha3 for contributing this chapter, and portraying his character, Raiden Hataru as a special guest appearance. Check out his story, "Lion Heart: Vengeance of a God."


	25. Incomplete

**Opening song: Dr. Dre - What's the Difference Ft. Xzibit and Eminem**

Liu stared in the mirror, cleaning his face as he reflected the past of his actions. Liu had been through hell back and forth.

 _Day one, my life has already turned upside down when I stepped foot into IS Academy. The choice of rot in jail or hell, those were out of the option when a girl named Lingyin Huang saved me out of the blue. Did I ever deserve of gaining another life? Who am I kidding? Looking myself in the mirror, I'm not Superman at all, or Ichika Orimura that stopped Silver Gospel. I don't have the traits of being a good guy. No, I'm Liu King-Sang, a Triad gangster from Righteousness Union, and I'm far from being just your ordinary boy that can pilot an IS. Ever since Three Dragons tortured me more than once to break my body apart to get his hands on Sockdolager now known as Nightmare, my fuel to kill him has burned even more. If that was bad enough, I met Raiden Hataru the blind philosophical lion to negotiate the deal, and I sold my soul to the lion. Take over the throne as a Righteousness Union, or die alone, there's no way I'll fall for those. I'm the one that decides my fate, not by those that tell me this and that._

* * *

 **Time: 10:14 AM – Orimura Residence**

It was sunny morning and Ichika wore a plain light blue t shirt, shorts and flip flops. The house was where he and Chifuyu reside with the usual furniture not too much, but enough to keep them occupied. Ichika and Chifuyu were not the only one in the house. Mattheus and Joel sat on the couch playing Super Smash Bros. for Wii U as they were focused on the game. Their fingers moved at light speed pace mashing buttons on the Nintendo controllers while Ichika served them glass of water.

The boys enjoyed their time to relax away from the Academy for once, especially Battle of Kyoto that Rain and Forte that betrayed the Academy. Most importantly, World Purge was a highlight Ichika and the gang will never forget when Phantom Task raided the Academy to rescue Autumn.

 **DING DONG**

Ichika looked through the eye door, and to be expected, it was Cecilia wearing a fancy white dress grinning like a socialite.

"Hello there, Ichika!" Cecilia exclaimed. The English rabbit held a white box of dozen homemade donuts that looked scrumptious Cecilia made yesterday. Every time Cecilia made food, most of the time it turned into a disaster with horrendous ingredients added, and those that took a bite fell into a coma or spit out in disgust.

Ichika opened the door as Cecilia took her shoes off, and set the donuts on the coffee table. The donuts released a sweet aroma in the living room while Joel waved at Cecilia.

"Yo," Joel said, flicking his thumbs on the joy stick and buttons. "You made these donuts?"

The way Cecilia stared at the young Irish punk indicated he wanted some.

"That's right, would you care for some?"

Ichika went numb. He set his drink on the table, knowing how horrendous Cecilia's cooking is as he has to save Joel from being another victim of chemical warfare cooking. Even though Ichika ate Cecilia's cooking not too long ago that was deemed delicious, Ichika cannot let his guard down. Ichika has put his life on the line to take the hard hit.

"I'll like some too, please."

Something in him believed Ichika that he sacrificed his soul to save Joel unaware of Cecilia's cooking skills. Cecilia gave Ichika and Joel donuts as Ichika gulped, slowly taking the first bite. Much to his surprise, Ichika did not feel sick. In fact, Ichika took another bite and ate it all.

Ichika said, "This is…so good."

Cecilia worked with a smile. "I'm glad that you appreciated my culinary skills."

Joel took a bite of the donut, finishing it with a lick around his lips.

"I like it, delicious for a sweet snack."

Ichika grabbed another donut for seconds. "What ingredients did you use to make these snacks?"

"It's-"

 **DING DONG**

Cecilia smacked the air with a grandiose backhand. "That was very rude that some people have the nerve to interrupt me."

Ichika opened the door, and it was Laura in a black summer dress, and Rin with a button shirt and red skirt. As to be expected, Laura stopped by to see her "bride." Cecilia shot a glare at the German girl as the latter could care less about Cecilia's mean mugging.

"Laura."

Cecilia's voice was bar-hoarse as she emitted rage aura. Mattheus and Joel slightly cringed at the Representative Candidate of England.

"Want to play Smash Bros to relieve your anger?" asked Mattheus.

"I'll play to see if it's worth the hype," said Laura, grabbing the GameCube controller. "My colleagues from Schwarzer Hase played that game, and they talked nonstop about it."

"Fighting games are my specialty that you two will bow down to me," Rin boasted, grabbing the controller.

Cecilia, Laura, and Rin sat together, choosing the characters that suited their play style as Mattheus and Joel watch. By the time the girls chose their characters, they turned from casual demeanor to pro gamers mashing buttons and joysticks on the controllers.

"Good call to have them play videogames," said Joel ever amused.

Mattheus nodded his head, looking at the English rabbit trying to beat Laura with combo moves.

"I can't let them destroy Ichika's house off of their anger. You know how nasty it can get with their temper."

While the girls were occupied with the videogame, Ichika turned on the AC, and prepared drinks of Ginger Ale and water to beat the heat wave. Chifuyu in her t-shirt, shorts, and slippers drank a bottle of ice cold beer while she slouched on the sofa, fetching things with her foot. Chifuyu may be in an instructor from hell, but at home, Chifuyu is very lazy.

Chifuyu grabbed another bottle of beer, but she fell asleep in the process.

"Zzzzz…"

Ichika sighed at the Brunhilde acting like a sloth hogging the sofa like a kid not sharing his favorite toy. As long as Chifuyu was asleep, Ichika was fine without her telling him this and that.

150 meters away from Ichika's house, Houki in her casual clothing saw two men and a woman in summer attire with one of them sporting sleeve tattoos. From the looks of their appearances, they were Righteousness Union associates as they stop to have a cigarette break. The male companion offered a cigarette to his friend, but he politely declined.

 **"Ngo zeoi gan gaai zo jin, kap jin ngai hoi gin hong aa maa!"** (I recently quit smoking, 'cause smoking is hazardous to health, right!)

The female friend exhaled the nicotine smoke, sighing. **"Saam lung m teng ngo gong, cung dat faan ngo gei gau."** (Three Dragons won't listen to me. He even said something in retort.)

 **"Keoi gong mat ye?"** (What did he say?)

 **"Ngo m zi, ngo zan hai m ming baak heoi dim gaai gam joeng zou aa."** (I don't know, I really don't understand why he acts like this.)

 **"Zung sai nei gong!"** (You're telling me!)

Houki stopped briefly to listen in on the conversation, even though she could not understand Cantonese. Luckily, the trio did not see Houki dropping in as they were occupied with their conversation.

The woman threw the cigarette away. **"Ngo dei ge Hak dou zung jan jat zik pek jau baau faat noi zin jan wai…"** (Our triad members are fighting that stupid civil war because…)

The man tilted his head in confusion when she stopped momentarily. **"Jan wai…?"** (Because…?)

 **"Lau King-Sang jau Saam Lung."** (Liu King-Sang and Three Dragons.)

Houki could not believe what she just heard, as if the life from her was drained. At first, Houki thought they were joking around, but their tone gave it away; that they have a big issue to solve. The woman was hesitant to continue speaking as she looked down.

 **"Gan zyu lok lei…ze baan so gwaa sam cyun gaai dai duk hoi Dou Ji Lyun Mang."** (Carrying on…those idiots bear a grudge that it poisoned Righteousness Union.)

The trio frowned in disgust at the current situation that they have problems in their own set, primarily Liu and Three Dragons' grudge that won't stop all because of IS. Righteousness Union made a mistake of selling an IS due to their ignorance, and they abandoned it. However, Liu and Three Dragons fought over IS ownership. In the end, Liu gained the ability to pilot an IS. Three Dragons won't stop dumping his resources to get back the stolen IS.

By the time Righteousness Union members left, Houki pondered.

 _How do they know Liu, and is he one of them? If Liu is, that must have explained why he went missing, or he only interact with Rin._

For now, Houki put it aside as she entered Ichika's house to greet Laura, Cecilia, Rin, and the boys occupied on the videogame. The vixen saw the homemade donuts Cecilia made, but Houki already ate. Then again, Houki did not want to be the victim of chemical warfare cooking like last time when Cecilia added perfume on the fried chicken balls.

"Good morning, Houki," Ichika reached out and gave her a cup of water. "How was your early morning training?

Houki looked up at him and smiling, catching her breath. "Not too bad to get my day started."

"Right."

"We have been through so much for the past few days…remember when we went to Kyoto for a school trip until Phantom Task attacked us?"

"That was not what we expected, and two of our classmates turned to Phantom Task."

Houki sized him up. "They were agents that are for sure." Concerned about her clothes now, a white button-up sundress and black heels, Houki looked at his eyes. "Ichika, do you think my clothes are not too fancy?"

"They look perfectly fine for you."

Houki checked them out with a smile. "I was hesitant to wear this for today as I'm concerned that it might reveal too much skin."

Ichika started to feel good. "Don't worry about it too much. Look at Cecilia and Laura that wore clothing similar to yours."

Cecilia, Laura, and Rin were so focused at the videogame that they did not hear the conversation between Ichika and Houki. Mattheus grabbed a chair nearby to take a seat with his left knuckle resting on his chin, and took a deep breath.

"Are you all right, Mattheus?" Ichika said.

Mattheus nodded, waiting. "The crime rate has skyrocketed that is primarily related to IS, especially Titan –M5."

"Chifuyu was working on Operation Exorcist for a while," Houki said. "Nothing slowed her down from completing the project."

"Now that you mentioned it, Chifuyu studied a sample of Titan –M5 to understand why it was created in the first place."

Laura had spoken to Chifuyu about the mission she and Liu took in that went horribly wrong. The mission was somewhat a success, but in Chifuyu's eyes, it was a failure when Liu was captured and subsequently tortured by Three Dragons. Even though Liu put up a lot of resistance, the damage was enough to increase his fuel to kill Three Dragons even more.

Liu made a deal with Raiden to acquire another sample of Titan –M5 in exchange for information about Three Dragons' operations, and immunity for Righteousness Union.

Ichika's stomach growled so loud that Cecilia, Laura, and Rin pause the game.

"Yeah, and I'm hungry right now."

Cecilia told the blue boy, "You should have had more of my donuts."

Ichika shrugged. "We'll have them later as desserts. Let me inform Chifuyu that we're going out."

Joel stiffened as he said, "Anyone thought of an idea of where we should eat?"

"I have no clue at all," said Laura, reacquainting with the controller. "Actually, there's a diner three blocks away from this house that is popular for reasonable prices."

"What is this diner place that you are talking about?" asked Cecilia.

"I'll show you once Ichika is ready."

Chifuyu lazily waved her hand at her little brother with her eyes sealed shut. The five left the house to get some fresh air. While the others have a chat, Houki saw Liu on the right side hanging out with his friends. Houki saw a glimpse of his tattoos on his right pectorals that caught her attention before she turned away with the gang.

* * *

 **Time: 11:45AM – Diner**

The diner was not too big or small, but it was just about right to house 45 customers. Wooden floors, tables, and seats with leather cushion decorated the eatery as the waitress showed Ichika and the gang a big table. Charlotte and Cecilia were in awe at the new environment that they have never seen before.

"This is a diner that you speak of?" Cecilia asked, looking at the menu.

"That's right," said Ichika. "It's very popular for reasonable prices, and very delicious food. As you can see, there are different types of people, such as families, elderlies, workers, and even those that are the same age as us."

The English rabbit was surprised seeing the diversity of people dining as she did not have this sort of eatery in her hometown. When Cecilia saw pictures of food, it was the first thing she was surprised of.

"This is intriguing because it even showed the amount of calories per each dish," said Charlotte.

"I'm surprised that one does not require a dress code and reservations," Cecilia replied before she turned gloomy looking at the high calorie meals.

"However, many of these meals have so many calories that it can ruin your daily intakes…"

"Oh don't be so uptight now," said Laura, looking at the menu. "There are times like this where you need to be loose at least once a while."

Mattheus nodded. "Eat in moderation so you don't have to worry about gaining weight."

Charlotte slightly frowned at the Flemish man. "Mattheus, you make it sound easy because you're a guy…"

"To put it this way, order something that does not have a lot of calories," Joel suggested, pointing a salad.

"You're right, Joel," Cecilia replied. "In that case, I'm getting Bangers and mash with peas."

"I'm settling for Yakizakana and Yaki udon so everyone else can share it," Ichika pointed the Japanese dishes.

"As for me, I'm settling for spicy beef ramen," said Rin, licking her lips. "Just by looking at it makes me hungry."

Charlotte and Cecilia clicked their tongues that they wanted to order food to share with the blue boy. They could have simply ordered more food, but Laura beat them to it when she ordered pork ginger. Combined with the humongous amount of high-calorie meals, Charlotte and Cecilia cannot afford to gain weight.

Ichika had something to say when he kept a calm expression. "Where we left off about Phantom Task, Shen wreaked havoc the most at Kyoto."

"Don't remind me at all because she was the worst of all to begin with," Mattheus replied, remembering the invincibility Shen possessed. "She did not have any weakness at all, and to top it off, she clobbered Chifuyu pretty badly."

Joel shook his head. "Let's not forget that American forces raided the Academy to search for the unregistered IS core, and once again, Phantom Task rescued prisoner Autumn."

Not once, but twice that Phantom Task assaulted the Academy just for spreading destruction, and the other was to rescue Autumn. They succeeded laying half of Kyoto to waste, along with retrieving Autumn safely because she will be much more dangerous with her out of the cage.

"I tried to save Liu, but Kaori captured him to let Three Dragons torture him," Laura closed her eyes from the horrific incident. "He put up a lot of resistance to not give up Nightmare at Three Dragons."

Houki slightly shuddered hearing Three Dragons as the boy is nothing but trouble. Three Dragons will use whatever it takes to steal Nightmare, even if it meant breaking the rules of Righteousness Union.

"When Phantom Task sent in The Lion, they tore their way through with brute force," Mattheus commented, sipping a glass of water. "They appeared to be invincible against the attacks we dished out, not even a flinch at all."

Ichika patted at the Flemish man's shoulders. "Tell us more about The Lion you and Joel encountered."

"The Lion behave like special ops unit that they strike without warning. I'm not sure if they are IS pilots because their genders are hard to distinguish. I advise you to be careful if you ever encounter them. The last thing you'll see is their lion balaclava."

The girls memorized the descriptions of The Lion as they wait for their food. Mattheus did not joke around when he talked about The Lion when they tried to kill him and Joel in order to rescue Autumn. Their mission was a success with none of their units killed in the process.

As the gang reflected the past events related to Three Dragons and Phantom Task, the waitress served them food, and Charlotte took out her iPhone 7 to take pictures of the scrumptious meals. While they eat their respective dishes, Laura slowly ate her food that caught Ichika's attention.

"My wife," said Laura, chewing the pork ginger. "I should have ordered a lower calorie meal as I should have been on a diet."

Her frown made Ichika confused as he scratched his head. "Laura, you won't be able to grow stronger if you don't eat a lot."

"You said a very rude thing to me."

The blue boy sighed that he did not provoke the black rabbit. "If you really want to go on a diet, take in moderation of oil and sugar. Consume fruits, vegetables, and fish regularly. Lastly, exercise as your daily routine so you won't have to worry about gaining weight."

The girls were star struck at Ichika's short lecture on nutrition while Joel and Mattheus did not appeared surprise.

"Ichika," Cecilia said. "You sound like a professor that's about to retire within the next month."

Ichika looked back at Cecilia eating her food. "What!?"

The girls laughed at Ichika's outburst while Joel and Mattheus couldn't help but to giggle at the blue boy's mishap. Cecilia shared some food with Ichika that made the girls slightly ticked off. Ichika sheepishly shared his meal with Cecilia to not make her mad, ignoring Charlotte maintaining her angel of death smile.

"That's quite manly of you, Ichika," Charlotte said. "Will you exchange food with me please?"

"I'll be right there, Charlotte."

"Yeah, like you that never says no," Rin snickered, folding her arms. "You'll be the perfect leading cast for the sequel of Yes Man."

"Who are you calling a yes man!"

Charlotte blinked. "You act instinctively based on what you feel it's right like how Cecilia wanted to try new food."

"Eh? That is normal for people to share food, and I have no shame to do so."

The English rabbit saw Ichika's glass out of water as Cecilia had the finale to attract him. "It appears that your drink is empty. I'll take pleasure to refill your drink if you would-"

"Stop right there, ballhog," Laura interrupted. "You have done too much for today. Why don't you take a breather? I'll do the honor for my wife."

Cecilia clicked her tongue at Laura's smug as she grabbed Ichika's empty glass towards the drink bar. Cecilia stared at the machine contained with various drinks. The problem was the drinks did not have English translations, and without any second thoughts, Cecilia impulsively mixed Coca-Cola and coffee together.

By the time Cecilia gave Ichika his drink the blue boy took a sip, and spit it out immediately.

"AAAAHHHH!"

Cecilia freaked out, grabbing napkins to clean up Ichika. "O-oh no! Are you okay, Ichika?"

"What did you put in my drink?" Ichika gasped for air.

"I don't know because the machines did not have English written!"

Joel face palmed in disgust at Cecilia's attempt to attract Ichika, and making a dangerous drink was not the best option to start with. Then again, Cecilia has still a lot to improve on her culinary skills. The gang settled down from the mess, ordering desserts to conclude their lunch time.

* * *

 **Time: 1:47PM – Shopping Center**

Mattheus and Joel returned to the Academy while the gang went to do shopping while Ichika found an empty bathhouse. This was a dream come true for Ichika to have it for himself. Last time the Academy had an open bathhouse Ichika took the advantage of, but he had too much fun, and collapsed for staying too long in the bath when Ichika attempted to use a fan to dry himself up.

"Wahooo!" Ichika shouted in joy, swimming and jumping around the bath. "I can have this bath for myself!"

The blue boy did not learn his lesson because he was supposed to clean his body before entering the bath. Ichika did not stay hydrated, which it's dangerous to stay in the bath for too long. By the time Ichika stepped out of the bath, he looked like a Hawaiian surfer with a lot of tan. Ichika used a fan to dry his body, he became lightheaded as he was bound to make the same mistake.

Ahhh, what's happening to me? I'm feeling dizzy, I'm about to…

 **THUD**

Ichika fell backwards like a slinky toy with his back arched. When Ichika did not listen to Chifuyu and Maya's warning of staying hydrated, and not stay too long in the bath, this is what he got. An employee carried the unconscious Ichika to a couch to leave him be. Houki and the others swing by to relax at the bathhouse only to find Ichika slouching.

"Ichika…care to explain why you look like a mess?" Houki questioned her childhood friend.

"Is this your friend? Well, he stayed in the bath too long, and collapsed. Give him plenty of water so he will be back on his feet."

As the employee went back to work, Laura face palmed in disgust. "You're far from being a man I once thought of. You failed to acknowledge your mistakes from your incident at the bathhouse in the Academy."

"Mmm…"

The girls took the time to relax at the bathhouse with Ichika recovering in the couch by staring at the ceiling. If Ichika learn to control himself, he would not get in the predicament again.

The gang went back to the Academy while Houki stay behind to shop for new clothing. The vixen bought a simple purple blouse, and a leather jacket. Even though the gang had a fun time at the diner, and hanging out at the shopping center, Houki felt something was not right, which was the conversation about Liu and Three Dragons.

 _Was it really Liu that I saw with tattoos on his right pectorals? It can't be him, and the people that blurted out his name sounded like they know him. I'll have to find out when the time's right._

* * *

On the other side of downtown...

"I see…So, you want me to use Titan –M5 for further enhancement to make it compatible for non IS pilots?"

Three Dragons was in the middle of an important phone conversation with Squall inside of Shen's BMW M6. Shen and Three Dragons were not the only occupants. Next to Three Dragons was Tabane happily munching on a package of Hello Panda strawberry biscuits. Three Dragons slowly nodded his head to finalize the deal he made with Squall.

"Well, Titan –M5 was originally made to enhance IS pilots, but I'll get back to you when testing is finished. Until then, I'll see you later."

Three Dragons put away his iPhone 6, tapping his finger on the door handle, and Tabane burped out loud. The former did not mind the rabbit's lack of manners as Three Dragons turned his head at Tabane.

"Is it complete, Dr. Tabane?"

"Your present is finished, Three Dragons~" Tabane replied, revealing a hologram of a Guandao with IS components. "This weapon has state of the art IS technology that will allow you to summon it by your thoughts. That way, it will give you the playing field if you encounter Liu~"

Three Dragons acknowledge the genius scientist as Kaori walked up to him, holding a Titan –M5. The rabbit typed in codes on her holographic computer at light speed pace. Three Dragons took a closer look at the stimulant to make sure there were no other substances added.

"That will be it for today," said Three Dragons, returning the stimulant to Kaori. "Starting tomorrow, your training will commence with Phantom Task. Shen and I will assist you, and remember to lay low until orders are given by Squall. Liu will definitely hunt us down, and I have a feeling he will take training soon. If you encounter Liu or any of his friends from the Academy and Righteousness Union, do not engage because the last thing I want to see is you on the breaking news."

Kaori did not like it, but she had to learn how to restrain herself from unnecessary outburst. The firebird nodded, returning to her Lamborghini Aventador, and sped off. Tabane tapped Three Dragons in the shoulder with strawberry biscuits on her right hand.

"I'll pass, I already ate two minutes ago. I'll have to see the Guandao in person you made for me."

Three Dragons whipped out his GSh-18, briefly staring at his signature sidearm before he put it aside, and stared at the window. Three Dragons may have resources to use, but he has to begin his training so he can take down Liu. The IS Academy and Phantom Task are not backing down as the training will soon begin.


	26. Resin

**Opening song: Original God - U Don't Know Me Ft. Lil Peep**

"Patrol division be advised, wanted underground dealer was reported at an illegal gambling club at Kabukicho. I need a unit to clear and head out that way."

"Do you have details on the wanted underground dealer?"

"Suspect is mid 20s male, 5'9", 188 lbs, grey cap, and green eyes. He has a duffle bag on his right shoulder. Proceed with caution suspect may have Titan –M5 in the duffel bag."

"Vehicle patrol unit 21 on scene, I got a visual on the suspect."

…

"This is the police! You'll be coming with us on charges of drug smuggling, and murder of two rival dealers."

"Oh fuck, it's the cops!"

"We've got a runner! Unit 21 to Station 43, I need backup, suspect is fleeing on foot."

…

"Vehicle patrol unit 107, we have the wanted dealer in custody. Units in the area, wanted suspect have just been apprehended at Seibu-Shinjuku station."

Chifuyu wrote notes on her folder while the monitor showed police officers arresting the wanted dealer. Another monitor revealed the rest of the officers on duty. The Brunhilde was not in the mood for joking around because she knows that the stakes are high for setting up Operation Exorcist. So far, the cops got the scene under control without shots fired and civilians were not harmed.

…

"Unit 5 to Chifuyu, suspect's duffle bag has Titan –M5 intent to distribute, and a loaded handgun in his pants pocket. He will also be charged for brandishing a weapon."

Chifuyu rested her chin on her hands with determination while the suspect was taken away to face criminal charges. Even though Chifuyu got one of her target stopped, she contemplated how to proceed with Operation Exorcist. The Brunhilde read the data related to the location of Three Dragons which it will be crucial to get the lead on him. Chifuyu has the go to start Operation Exorcist, but she felt like there's something missing to complete the puzzle to ensure it does not crumble.

Chifuyu's iPhone 7 rang on her desk that broke the minute of silence as she suspiciously looked at the unknown number.

"This is Chifuyu speaking, who is this?"

"Surprised? It wasn't hard for me to find your phone number."

Chifuyu froze in time at the unknown caller's voice that got a hold of her number. The Brunhilde remained calm as usual.

"Perhaps you think you're the best of flushing out criminals single handedly. I'm Uncle Yuen, the Dragon Head of Righteousness Union. You have one of my associates name Liu King-Sang, yet you're alive. This is interesting coming from a Mondo Grasso champion."

The worst has come for Chifuyu as she gritted her teeth listening to Liu's Dragon Head talking to her. Chifuyu has a distaste against organized crime, and Uncle Yuen made it worse that he had the knowledge that Liu was not where he would reside.

"You're not getting your hands on Liu," said Chifuyu.

Uncle Yuen chuckled. "Relax, I'm not going to raid on IS Academy. I just want to see how Liu is doing."

"He is doing fine. You don't need to visit him."

"I'm just giving you a friendly reminder of being aware on your surroundings. You may never know something extraordinary is about to happen any time soon. It was nice having a small chat with you, Chifuyu. We'll catch up again when you're not watching your monitors."

With that being said, Uncle Yuen ended the call, and Chifuyu growled in disgust. While Chifuyu oversee the monitors, officers raided some of illegal gambling dens, clubs, and black markets. The lucrative businesses even had connections with Phantom Task as officers arrested Phantom Task associates. News reporters and onlookers took pictures of the arrested associates with their faces against the building. Chifuyu has the winning side, or so does she think.

* * *

 **Time: 11:42AM – Phantom Task Hideout**

"What is the meaning of this?" Autumn asked, clenching her stress toy. "Did our dealer snitched on us?"

Squall was not surprised at all, but Autumn was not happy as she turned on the TV with breaking news.

"Tadami Kiryuu here. Reports continue to roll into this two month operation. Agents said that Kabukicho is a hub for major drug and money laundering activity. Matsuda is on location."

"As we speak, police announced the arrest of twenty alleged associates of Phantom Task facing charges of illegal gambling, extortion, and drug smuggling. Police conducted a search, and found a new substance called Titan –M5 that is used specifically for IS pilots to enhance power. Apparently, criminals got their hands on to break the rules of poisoning IS pilots. No one knows how it originated, but the police are working hard to stop the flow of Titan –M5 pouring into IS pilots."

Three Dragons let out a small grin while Autumn became much more agitated watching the breaking news. "Heh, never been so happy to see the cops so riled up to make the city clean."

Squall casually polished her blood red fingernails, not paying attention to the crisis that affected Phantom Task.

"Don't you see what the cops are doing to us?" Autumn questioned Squall. "Three Dragons brushed it aside like it doesn't bother him. We have to-"

Squall patted Autumn by the shoulder. "No need to fret, we knew it was going to happen anyway. The police are calling us out, and I got a message to deliver for our uniformed friends. Three Dragon, you may commence the attack."

Squall turned at Three Dragons to begin the phase as the dragon turned on another monitor with Forte on standby. Squall and Three Dragons have confidence that Forte can retaliate against Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department with ease. Three Dragons and his followers grabbed machetes, and crude melee weapons as they don motorcycle helmets for their next scheme.

"Forte dear, can you hear me?" Squall said through the private link at Forte.

The Greece girl nodded her head, dressing up as a policewoman with her accomplice disguised as a policeman named Masato.

"I trust you to complete your objective without any body count or other unauthorized actions. It's bothersome to clean up a mess every time the media is all over like vultures. Please make it out in one piece, along with Masato. After all, good soldiers are hard to be replaceable. Hiring private military companies and mercenaries are hard to deal with when we have people in our homeland that share mutual interests."

Forte gave Squall her usual bored expression before she hung up to execute her objective. Masato adjusted his baseball cap, and loaded his New Nambu M60 revolver as they head towards a Nissan 370Z Nismo police car. Normally, Forte can get to HQ with her IS, Cold Blood, but she cannot afford to bring unwanted attention to the public flying with her police uniform. Forte had to follow procedures to act like a legit policewoman. Forte can also use obvious approach by raiding the HQ with no disguise, but the downside was Forte will be identified instantly by the cops and media. Phantom Task's motto is stay within the shadows, not by making a scene.

While Chifuyu read the data about Three Dragons, she turned to another monitor that relayed TMPD HQ. For some reason, Chifuyu got a gutsy feeling in her stomach overseeing the usual work at the HQ. In her mind, Uncle Yuen spoke to her ominously.

 _You may never know something extraordinary is about to happen any time soon._

* * *

 **Time: 12:23PM – Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department Headquarters**

The afternoon was clear sky with bright sun gleaming towards downtown streets. Masato and Forte parked their car inside the garage as they went inside to make their move. The duo used forged identities to bypass security as officers briefly stared at them before they went back to work. These two were anything but police officers with a bag full of tricks in their sleeves.

Masato went to a computer while Forte kept an eye out. Masato typed in the computer to monitor security cameras planted on the streets to not attract unwanted attention from other officers walking in and out. While Masato opened another window to write up a report about the streets, he witnessed a masked individual walking to his van with a suppressed Mac 10, and a duffel bag filled with money. Those signs give away a robbery has occurred, and Masato immediately stood up.

"I got a distress call from someone that hit the silent alarm," said Masato. "Suspect just robbed a hardware store, and I need all officers in this precinct to nab him now. He is donned in dark gray hoodie with a white mask, black jeans and black boots driving a white Toyota pickup."

Those that heard the robbery call waste no time to chase after the robber. In reality, the robbery call was a fluke because the hardware store was a disguise for smuggling operation. Masato bribed a robber set this up to draw away officers from the headquarters for Masato and Forte to sabotage the headquarters. The robber's ideal destination: a shootout with the cops at a major traffic accident with the media covering the footage. Masato went through unsolved cases to save it through his USB flash drive.

The coast was clear, Forte went inside the evidence room as she cracked her knuckles, and booted up the computer. Forte thought she heard footstep as she drew her Nambu 60. Once left alone, she got into the server area and began to work on her magic, simultaneously hacking the database for sensitive police information and uploading a virus. Forte whipped out her duffel bag to steal illegal firearms and some confidential folders.

Masato and Forte thought they were clear, but unfortunately, a female officer traced the hack from her computer.

"Someone's hacking into the headquarters!" A female officer yelled, drawing attention to nearby officers. Masato slightly shuddered that the fake robbery call should have send all the officers out, but a few handful remained in the headquarters.

Officers huddled around the computer as the female officer shook her head. "Someone or something is planting a virus, stealing data from the system."

"Code red, we have a breach," said the officer. "Someone has breached the network coming from the evidence room."

Two officers walked towards the evidence room to search whoever was responsible for hacking the system. The officers could not believe their eyes as they tried everything to stop the hack, but their efforts did not pay off. The female officer gritted her teeth to use the last resort.

"We have no choice but to cut off the hotline."

"Are you out of your mind?"

She looked back with determination. "Whatever they want, they are getting it."

The police sergeant hesitated, but she was serious to cut the server immediately. Readjusting his hat, he nodded his head to cut all the systems down. Forte rounded up the things she needed on her duffel bag just as she managed to finish uploading the virus, which would later shut down police communications, and she obtained sensitive information on the police.

The female officer disconnected the server, but it failed to halt the hack, much to the dismay of the officers.

"What the hell…?"The police sergeant muttered.

The officers could not believe that they have been hacked by a Phantom Task agent disguised as a policewoman. The female officer furiously slammed her fist on her desk.

"Get nearby officers back to the headquarters right now! We have been breached by a disguised officer."

Seven officers frantically scrambled to get help while the sergeant attempted to reboot the system, but the hack dealt enough damage to crash the headquarters, leaving them defenseless.

Forte was about to leave the premises until she was met staring at the barrel of a revolver.

"Get your hands up in the air, and don't move!" The police officer ordered, pointing his revolver. They had a good lead that Forte was the only one in the evidence room to tamper the system. The duffel bag on her left shoulder gave it away that Forte was up to no good.

"Up, get them up where I can see them!"

Forte did not budge, despite the fact she was caught for sabotaging the system. Two officers slowly approached Forte as she played along to surrender.

"..."

The agent slowly raised her hands up, but in a flash, Forte dropped her act to partial deploy Cold Blood. Forte flash freezes chunks of ice like shurikens and hurled at her pursuers.

"What the-?!"

The officers barely had time to return fire before they were disarmed, and knocked out. Masato met up with Forte preparing to leave. Masato drew his revolver, and fired blindly at another officer ducking for cover.

"Cockroaches…" said Forte in disgust.

The Greece girl released a powerful blizzard from her right hand at the remaining officers that slowed them down indefinitely. The duo calmly drove away with their objectives completed while the officers struggled to shrug off the freezing blizzard. Forte flipped the bird at the police for shooting at her.

"Stupid fucks tried to shoot me…" Forte muttered to Masato. "Are we finally clear this time?"

Masato nodded his head, revealing the computer his associate that took care of the officers incapacitated at a parking lot.

"I'll file out the report to Squall on our objectives complete," Masato replied, typing on the computer. "The final step is to send this message to Chifuyu. Give the evidence to Squall where she will take care of it."

Forte's pursuers caught up at the evidence room, but they were too late because Forte and Masato got away clean with sensitive information in their hands. Phantom Task has the clear advantage to destroy the police force with a snap of a finger. TMPD was left defenseless with officers frantically trying to fix the damages done. Back at Phantom Task hideout, Forte and Masato gave Squall the evidence they collected from the headquarters. These two sources will deal a major blow to the police force if Squall decided to release it to the public. Then again, the leader would not get anything in return because she has something to make the police force on its hands and knees.

"Good work, you two," Squall commented, drinking red wine. "We have a lot of work to do. Inform Three Dragons that we're about to commence training. Shen and Kaori will need them too."

As Forte went away, Squall found Chifuyu's phone number with ease to deliver a message.

* * *

 **Time: 1:05PM – IS Academy**

It was another slow day at the Academy as usual. Ichika and the gang was channel surfing until they bumped into a news channel that caught their attention.

"We bring you this afternoon breaking news. An out of control semi-truck caused a major traffic accident that ended with six cars destroyed in the process. Police and medical team shut down several roads until the scene was clear. Alcohol and drugs were not the cause of the accident, and we have no further details of how many people were injured from the horrific accident."

The gang was too stunned to say a word, but they were not the only one watching the breaking news. At Chifuyu's office, the Brunhilde pay close attention to every word the reporter gave out.

"Suddenly, we got news report that a white pickup with police in pursuit crashed at the exact location where we last left. A masked individual crashed into a car, wielding a suppressed Mac 10, and fired at the police that left three officers and one civilian injured."

Chifuyu was not surprised at the breaking news as she is accustomed watching news when she is bored. Chifuyu was about to change the channel until she saw a police officer surrendering in fear to the robber was captured and telecast by the local media. The footage revealed the robber walking away, firing a single shot at the officer's hat that left him paralyzed in fear.

"I'm flabbergasted," said the reporter, adjusting his glasses. "Is Japan really a safe place for us citizens to live crime free? The police were made to protect us from danger, and I'm seeing them surrendering to a lone criminal? This is an outrage! I thought the police were supposed to eradicate criminals, not opening the doors for them to spread chaos at us. I'm questioning the credibility at the police. I'm losing faith at them, and I want to know what the police chief has got to say."

The Brunhilde was for a moment frozen in time witnessing the disastrous shootout. The reporter's statement made her pause as Chifuyu make sure her cup of water did not slip from her hand. Chifuyu could not believe at the TV news unit that broadcasted the embarrassing defeat of the police in front of her eyes.

The reporter's burning words left Chifuyu slightly ticked off. The Brunhilde does not mind people talking down on her, but when the reporter criticized the credibility of the police force, Chifuyu threw her drink at the TV in frustration. Chifuyu turned off the TV that gave her a headache from listening to the reporter. Chifuyu was flabbergasted that the officers she worked with surrendered against a robber that got away. If she was at the aftermath of the scene, Chifuyu would chase at the robber until it was finally over.

Just as things could not get worse, Chifuyu received a text message no other than her arch-nemesis.

Dear Ms. Orimura:

Did you watch the breaking news today? You are quite an eyesore to us for shutting down some of my operations. What do you have against us? You're not giving people the opportunity to pursue their dreams. I decided to return the favor by giving TMPD a home improvement. I have the evidence to turn the police upside down. Unless you don't want to see your beloved workers in danger, follow this simple rule: Dismantle your pointless long investigation, and stop sticking your nose at other people's business. I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors. – Squall

Chifuyu's eyes sheered in anger reading the sickening letter, especially the last sentence that offended her. The Brunhilde was not the one to tap out that easily from Squall's blackmail. Phantom Task may have the winning advantage, but they have no idea it fueled Chifuyu to hit back, harder. For now, she put it aside to not think too much about it as Chifuyu has Plan B to ease her mind.

"All personal IS users, please report to the office."

In fifteen seconds, Ichika and the gang stood in line as Chifuyu poured a cup of water. Normally, she would drink alcohol, but this time, Chifuyu preferred water for this situation.

"I'm sure that you just saw the breaking news of the…incident that irked all of us," said Chifuyu, drinking water. "It does not take a rocket scientist to point out that Phantom Task pulled the strings."

Tatenashi folded her arms. "Perhaps the actions back in Kyoto grind their gears to make them cause major damage. The police was manhandled pretty badly."

Chifuyu sighed at the blue cat. "Let's not talk about that. I want all of you to be on guard, especially Liu that went AWOL, twice. I let his attitude go on long enough, but when Liu got captured and tortured by Three Dragons, I had to put the brakes on him for good."

"How are we supposed to keep an eye out?" Laura questioned. "Last time I watched Liu, he sacrificed himself to save my skin. Despite the fact I cannot abandon him, he persisted that I did not like."

"That's where I'm getting at," Chifuyu replied with a stern tone. "Liu is nowhere close mastering his IS skills. He will not get anywhere with that mindset of vengeance mixed with his emotions. Train Liu using the knowledge you obtained. I don't care what methods you apply as long as it keeps him in line. Liu went off course more than once, and I had it."

Ichika acknowledged his older sister's reasoning to train Liu because he can relate that the girls used their resources to train him. Even though Ichika has more experience piloting an IS than Liu, he knows that his skills are not fully mastered.

Chifuyu finished her cup of water, stretching her arms out. "That is all for today, you may leave."

The gang left the office as Chifuyu closed her eyes, composing herself to relief stress she endured today. Phantom Task sabotaged the police headquarters with the evidence in their hands to blackmail Chifuyu. Her enemies were clever to hurt her as they were not amateurs. This was the beginning of a war that will emerge soon.

* * *

 **Time: 1:30PM –Rin's Dorm**

"Zzzz…"

Liu slept as the shimmering rays of sunlight beaming through the thin curtains that covered the windows shine onto his exposed stomach. Liu lazily opened his eyes briefly before he went back to sleep, enjoying the soft mattress that gave him comfort. The dragon did not want to get out of his comfortable bed, considering the fact that it's Saturday morning, and there was no class today. Everything seemed to be a peaceful morning until-

 **Knock Knock**

"Time to get up for your morning drill!" said Houki, opening the door. "Did you forget that training starts-"

Liu did not hear Houki's booming voice as his mind was dozing off into another world. Houki saw the dragon's legs sticking out of his blanket, and his right arm dangling like a rope. Houki could not believe that Liu completely forgot that it was his first day of training. The sight of the dragon sleeping like a sloth does not go together. Houki thought Liu would know better than Ichika waking up early. Anger began to build up inside of Houki with her rage scorching sky high that prompted her to grab her shinai, and raised it over her head.

"Why you…!"

Without warning, Houki charged towards the sleeping dragon with full power. Liu sensed the vixen's divine punishment as his muscle memory triggered, and he grabbed the shinai with his right hand. Houki was surprised at Liu predicted her divine punishment, despite the fact he was still sleeping. Liu instinctively kicked Houki to shoo her away, but his counterattack made Houki beyond pissed off to strike back.

"You dare to attack me!?" Houki shouted, kicking Liu's right hand off of her shinai. "Get your lazy butt up right now!"

Houki swung again as Liu attempted to block, but the vixen's hard bamboo sword struck his right hand, and smacked the defenseless dragon's body and face seven times. Liu's screams of agony were heard from Houki's divine punishment. Liu agonized in pain before he fell from his bed with a thud, and Houki vented off her anger.

"That hurt like hell…" Liu groaned, nursing his sore right forearm. "You remind me of Kamiya Kaoru that does not know how to restrain herself."

The moment Liu said that, Houki revealed her fiery, violent temper, and struck his sleepy face that gave her a good reason to wake him up, again. The last divine punishment left an unforgettable mark on Liu's left cheek.

"People who sleep in on the day of their training should get kicked by a horse and die," said Houki putting away her shinai. "Don't call me Kamiya ever again. We're not in the 11th year of the Meiji period."

Maybe the divine punishment was a bit too harsh Houki lashed out at Liu. The vixen does not like people showing up late, especially training day. Houki smacked Ichika silly for "sleeping" with Laura, but Liu suffered the worst wakeup call that hurt even more than Ichika. Houki sighed at Liu that looked like a battered worm, and she helped him to get up.

"Get yourself cleaned up, and wear this kendogi."

Liu complied as he grabbed his kendogi and hakama, and went towards the bathroom to freshen up.

* * *

 **Time: 1:45PM – Dojo**

Houki and Liu bowed to each other as a sign of greeting and respect. While Houki and Liu warm up, he knows that Houki is nonsense when it comes to kendo because it runs in her blood. When Houki tell Liu to follow her set of commands, he has to obey. Liu can refuse, but this was his first day of training, and Liu must make every day count.

"Based off of your observation and combat data obtained from Tatenashi, sword and firearms are your main source of weaponry," said Houki. "Firearms are not going to be used today as swords are the main source of training."

Liu nodded his head, remembering his past of using melee weapons during his tenure with Righteousness Union. "I have some experience using swords before I touched guns."

Houki raised an eyebrow at the last statement. "Some experience you say? I hope what you show me does add up to your words."

After the two finished warming up, Houki tossed a shinai at Liu, and the two wore protective gears for sparring, primarily for Houki to see Liu's swordplay. That is, if Liu can really impress Houki with his sword techniques.

"Show me what you got, Liu," said Houki, holding her shinai in battle position.

Liu readied his shinai as the two face off, trying to read each other's strategies. Less than eight seconds, Liu immediately charged with a downward slash. Houki stepped back, parrying the strike, and she noticed Liu's hands holding his shinai very sloppy. Houki was in defensive position as Liu went for another strike. This was a big mistake for Liu because Houki read the attack, and she struck his left forehand.

"Tsk…!" Liu winced in pain, lowering his shinai to shake off the first strike. Houki remained on guard to wait for Liu to get back up. As they commence, Houki glanced at Liu's messy footwork, but she decided to save the criticisms for last. Liu attempted to predict Houki's attacks as he went for another move. Houki waited for him to strike again as she blocked his strikes.

"MEN! DOU! KOTE!" Houki shouted, striking back with sheer force. Liu found himself struggling to block against Houki's offensive moves.

"MEN!" Houki screamed that slightly shook Liu as her shinai smacked his head, echoing the empty dojo. The dragon could not believe his defense was broken by Houki's force.

Houki shook her head. "You can do way better than that!"

"You don't know what I'm capable of," Liu countered, readying his shinai. "Let's keep this going."

The two got close enough within striking range, and they swung their shinai for one second so fast one would not be able to tell who scored a hit first. Houki found Liu's defense exposed, and she did not hesitate to end it.

Once again, Liu went for an overhead strike, but Houki pointed her shinai at Liu's throat, stopping his tracks. Before Liu could react, Houki struck his throat, leaving him speechless.

"…!"

Houki shook her head at Liu that said he has some experience with swords. More like below average in her eyes because Liu exhibited a lot of flaws from the beginning. Liu's footwork, holding a shinai, and his attacks were improper. As they removed their headgear, Houki turned at Liu.

"Sloppy, unrefined, horrible, and arrogant the way you fight…" Houki stated.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean your techniques are below average. You held the shinai incorrect, bad footwork, and your offense and defense are too predictable."

Liu did not notice that because he was too focused on striking Houki at the cost of throwing out the basics.

"What you said about having some experience with swords was disappointing. You're rather below average swordsman."

Rather than taking his mistake as a lesson, Liu was offended at the harsh words Houki threw, and he had the urge to talk back.

"Oh? You mean you're giving me a free pass to kick your ass?" Liu said in a threatening tone.

Before Liu can talk back even more, the vixen pointed her shinai at his nose.

"Watch your tongue, Liu," Houki retorted, pushing him back. "Must I use divine punishment to correct your attitude?"

Liu did not want to receive the short end of the stick again as he released his fist. Houki sighed seeing Liu's expression of an unruly boy.

"Look, I'm not here to hate you because I'm better than you. I'm here to train you to improve your skills as an IS pilot to stop Kaori and Three Dragons. If I told you right away you're good, and you don't need training, that's a lie. I'll teach you how to wield a sword like the way of the samurai does, and I expect you to follow my commands. That also includes correcting your unruly attitude, whether you like it or not. Do I make myself clear?"

Houki was right about the dragon's behavior. In order for Liu to improve, he must stop his antics to control his emotions. Liu has not demonstrated self-restraint to not let his emotions get the best of him. Starting today, Liu will follow Houki's directions, even if it hurts. Houki talked about kendo footwork, and how to wield a shinai. These two topics were essential Houki emphasized heavily.

"Footwork is never to be ignored," Houki lectured. "Okuri-ashi is the most important, but it's the most difficult to master because without this, you cannot do kendo."

Houki placed her left foot behind her right foot for battle stance. "When we go forward, we move the front foot first. When we go backward, we move the back foot first. Keep in mind that the back foot never passes the front foot, and never drag your feet."

Liu watched Houki demonstrating Okuri-ashi to get the concept down. Liu copied what Houki did as he memorized the footwork of going forward and backward. Houki made Liu repeat the basic footwork several times, despite the correct techniques he showed, but Houki did so for Liu to build muscle memory.

"Stop dragging your feet!" Houki commanded with a booming voice. "You will slow down your speed from dragging."

Liu made some mistakes while he endured Houki's constant commands to keep him moving. Houki showed Liu more footwork techniques that does not involve going in a straight line. Houki's booming commands wore out Liu mentally, but he kept going to not disappoint her. Houki did not make Liu stop until she said, "Yame!"

The training was long, grueling, and tiring that drained Liu's energy. Days passed by as Houki continued to train Liu with the basics as her commands kept him on his feet. Liu did not dare to slack off, not even for one second. Although Liu showed some restraint, he would occasionally talk back at Houki every time he messed up. The way to keep Liu in line was for Houki to use divine punishment when he stepped out of line. Houki added offensive and defensive techniques in the mix as Liu followed along without questioning. Houki kept a keen eye at Liu so he does not forget the basics.

"What did I tell you about holding your shinai like that?" said Houki. "Wield it properly."

Liu practiced consistently to not get Houki on her bad side. So far, Liu's will of not giving up impress Houki, despite her strict training. Liu received less divine punishment, primarily from being late for training or oversleeping. Each sparring session they had, Liu utilized the techniques he learned to keep up with Houki, even though he lost several times. Win or lose did not matter for Houki, as long as Liu demonstrated the proper techniques, that's what matters to her.

Despite the fact Liu did not defeat Houki in sparring matches she was impressed with Liu's progress. There was one time that they spar with katanas, and Houki attacked Liu without warning that almost got him injured in the process. Liu questioned why she used live blade, but the response he got was nothing. Liu used the techniques he learned from Houki, but he still found himself unable to beat Houki. The relentless roadwork and endless sparring sessions put a toll on Liu to the point he found Slugger style. Liu used his katana through unconventional ways with a series of twists, unpredictable swings, though he mixed it with traditional Kendo techniques.

Liu's Slugger style matched his fighting style that was brutal which it reflected his personality. The dragon finally beat Houki at another sparring, much to his delight because Liu could not take it anymore with Houki's endless winning streaks. They removed their equipment to catch their breath as Houki wiped the sweat off her forehead.

"Cruel, pure violence, and no sense of honor," Houki commented Liu's Slugger style. "I did not see it coming."

"I used whatever I learn to beat you," Liu replied, twirling his katana. "What now since we have concluded training?"

"I pushed you a lot on my training sessions, and considering that you endured my harsh rules, I'll treat you out for boba and fried chicken balls," Houki replied, drinking a bottle of water.

Liu sighed in relief that his training with Houki was finally over. Liu could not take it anymore with her strict training that made him tired. Liu talked back several times, and he would be reprimanded or received divine punishment by the Kendo champ. Then again, it was made to build his strong will, which Houki expected to make him stronger against her regiments.

* * *

 **Time: 10:44AM – Room 1025**

Liu rested against the couch for a much needed rest from Houki's training. Liu stretched his arms as he remembered Houki's unforgettable voice that was harsh, yet effective to prevent him from slacking off. Overall, Liu learned a lot about swordsmanship because he understood of how to use a sword efficiently. Every lesson they had, Liu grasped the knowledge to put it in an IS combat situation.

Houki's voice and lessons were engraved into his brain that would not go away, even though Liu tried his best to not think about it too much. Liu was about to get a drink from the vending machine until he saw Houki with food and drinks on her hand.

"Hey there!" said Houki. "I made some snacks we can share. I'm sure you're familiar with it."

"Sure thing, I was about to buy a drink anyway, but I'm down."

The two sat down on a couch, and Houki ripped the bag open that was fried chicken balls. Liu took a whiff from the crispy aroma that it was made fresh with some garlic and black pepper sprinkled all over.

"Something tells me that you made this a few minutes ago," said Liu. "Usually, I get these at nearby boba shops, but this is on a whole new level."

"When you take your first bite, you will think differently about chicken balls."

Liu tilted his head slightly at the drink that was literally in a jar. He knew it's a popular drink just by looking at the contents, but Liu has never seen one served like this before.

"That's Jasmine milk tea, isn't it?"

Houki said, "Homemade as well, including the tapioca balls and syrups."

"I thought you bought them across the street, but I guess not."

"I prefer to make my food and drinks from scratch," said Houki, smiling. "Although every once in a while, I would buy food depending on my mood."

"I say 70% that you cook while the 30% would be stopping by at fast food joints."

Houki shook her head, adamant. "You wish, but I'm not that lazy."

Liu dipped the chicken ball with curry sauce, and ate it that exploded his taste buds in many directions. When Liu took the first bite, he grabbed another one to scarf down the delicious snack. Houki knew Liu would enjoy her homemade snack as she drank her taro boba tea.

"I have no other words to describe, but what I can is…this is too good," said Liu, drinking his jasmine milk tea.

Houki nodded her head, saying, "I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed it. This is your reward for completing your first part of training. I'm amazed that you did not give up on me, even though I pushed you to the limit several times. Not to mention that you endured my divine punishment every time you step out of line."

"It still hurts as of today," Liu laughed. "According to Ichika, you're fueled on being emotionally unstable that powered your divine punishment, and you were born with a grumpy face too."

Houki immediately spit out the boba in her mouth and coughed up her lungs. "That's a lie!"

"Denial at its finest, Houki. I got it off of your personal profile from the school's website. I'll bet on that right now."

"Are you acting fearless or just plain crazy?"

"Both. Not only you're emotionally unstable, but you complain about the size of your breasts being too big."

"For a hot headed boy, you are really cocky."

"Let me play a hand with you. If you lose, you're not allowed to use divine punishment for a month. If I lose, you get to use divine punishment on me for a month."

"Why I ought to make me want to deliver divine punishment again to repent your sin."

Liu nonchalantly whipped out three playing cards face down as he set it on the table, shuffling them much to Houki's dismay. She really thought that Liu was being sarcastic, but his smug gave it away that he was for real. Behind Liu's smug was his left hand that he hid an extra card behind his back pocket that contained the Ace while the three cards were all queen.

Liu pointed. "If you can find the Ace, you win."

Houki folded her arms at Liu, still disgusted at his tricks that he must be joking the entire time. Houki decided to play along to get this over with. The vixen had an idea to make things much more interesting.

"It's gambling anyway, let's bet more."

Liu shrugged. "Hit me."

"If I lose, you're free from receiving divine punishment, regardless of the situation you're in for the whole next year. If you lose, just let me hit you once with my bokken on the head for old times' sake."

"We have a deal!"

Houki stared at the cards as Liu was confident that he would win easily primarily that he cheated. Nevertheless, Liu waited patiently to see Houki's expression when she lose. Or that's what Liu had in mind.

"This one…no," said Houki, flipping the card over. "This one…no!"

Houki's sharp instincts told her that the last card was not an Ace. The vixen remained her usual scowl expression at Liu that was slightly surprised. Perhaps Houki saw the rigged game Liu set up to let him win all the time.

Houki let out a smug. "This one must be Ace."

Liu was speechless that he lost, lowering his head like an ashamed puppy. Houki took out her bokken to whack Liu's head as part of the deal. Liu closed his eyes to hide his shame as Houki swung her bokken at his head. However, at the last second, Houki stopped at the moment her bokken touched Liu's hair by a millimeter.

"Forget it! Do you think I dare to hit you? I knew that you set this up just to get on my nerves."

"Heh? Okay, I see you with those tricks, psychic."

"Not even close," she told Liu. "You can't hide your smug that gave away your intentions to cheat. Who's got the last laugh now?"

"Hmph, the Kendo champ never cease to amaze classmates in this Academy."

"It's all fun and games that you threw out. Besides, gambling is illegal, am I right?"

Liu cursed in his mind that he forgot about the simple rule. Houki chuckled at his face that was once an arrogant smug not turned into a scowl like Houki.

Houki sighed. "Don't take this too serious. I just want to brighten the mood that is too slow."

"Yeah I guess."

The vixen gave Liu an extra chicken ball to cheer him up. The joke's on Liu that he started his circus act, but Houki secretly made a lesson to Liu that he cannot win guarantee without knowing his opponents. Houki forgive Liu for his phony bet as the two eat her homemade snack, and drinking boba tea. Liu pulled out his iPhone 6, revealing Houki's personal profile from the school website. It indeed said that Houki was somewhat emotionally unstable, and sometimes complained the size of her breasts. Houki was not amused that they had to put unnecessary facts about her while Liu chuckled. Houki remembered that she saw Liu's tattoo the other day as she had the urge to press the issue.

Houki put her drink down. It's now or never to kick the doors down for Houki to reveal what she saw.

"Liu, the other day I walked to Ichika's house, I saw three people that were affiliated with Righteousness Union."

"What makes you think they are from Righteousness Union?"

"The way they had tattoos on their arms, they mentioned your name, along with something related to the conflict with Righteousness Union."

Liu looked blank, and then let his face come to life. "What the hell...? Be sure that they said someone else that was not me."

"No, those guys clearly said your full name, and Three Dragons."

Liu felt like 10 million volts of lightning struck him upon hearing his name and Righteousness Union that came out of Houki's mouth. Liu thought he had it under control with his identity, but it seems that even the best can get caught.

"Why are we talking about this?"

"Because this is related to the current crisis that has to be stopped," said Houki. "The crime rate has skyrocketed related to IS parts and Titan –M5 smuggled. Not to mention that a few IS pilots went rogue in exchange for more power."

Houki was sharp as nails that she was able to reveal Liu's identity.

"Answer this question, and be honest with me. Are you affiliated with Righteousness Union?"

Liu was shocked that Houki found his true identity, fearing she might report it to the authorities. Liu played it cool as he stopped drinking his boba to not show signs of being nervous.

"You must have misheard it because there people that shared the same surname as me."

Her eyebrows flinched at his poor choice of words, making him talk off topic.

"Liu…"

Unfortunately, Houki was not the type to be fooled that easily as her blue eyes sharpened like a vulture. Houki's nonsense demeanor pinpointed Liu that got him locked, and one false move can turn things ugly. Houki looked directly at his eyes, still keeping her determined expression. There was no point stalling Houki as Liu closed his eyes momentarily and nodded his head.

"What you said about Righteousness Union...that is me."

Houki's assumptions were correct based on her observation. Liu's cover was blown by Houki, and patching up the wounds will not make it better. If Houki revealed Liu's identity to the cops or anyone else, he will be in trouble by the law. The only way to prevent that was to keep Houki's mouth shut, permanently. Liu was on the edge of life and death, hoping that Houki would not reveal his identity to the public.

Should anything happen to Liu, those that did him in will be in a world of hurt by the hands of Righteousness Union. Liu does not want that to happen as he drank his boba to cool off the anxiety.

"Houki, I will only say this once. Don't tell anyone about this."

Liu revealed his tattoos on his pectorals that surprised Houki slightly. The oni and dragon with phoenix wings marked the sign of Righteousness Union. Houki remembered the glimpse of his tattoos she saw earlier. This time, Houki saw the full depth of his colorful ink that described his background, a Triad that was raised in the underworld.

"Why did you have to get your body inked up?" Houki questioned Liu.

"It was my choice when I was affiliated with Righteousness Union."

"Where were your parents at when you joined Righteousness Union? It's crazy enough that you had to join for the exchange of respect."

"I was destined to step foot one way or the other."

"That does not tie up of what I'm saying, Liu," said Houki. "You can turn things around to not live like this."

Liu shook his head. "You're sorely mistaken, Houki. Where I'm from is not exactly like you, Ichika, and the girls around. My parents were in that family too ever since I was born."

"Even with that, there's-"

"The Triad society is not boxing," Liu retorted, eating his last chicken ball. "There are no KO's in the underworld. The man who gets beat down is not the loser. The guy who can't tough it out to the end, he's the one who loses."

Houki did not understand his words as Liu meant that he has to tough it out to the end. Even though Liu got knocked down several times, that does not mean he is weak. The obstacles thrown at him was the factor of being the strongest. Houki tried to understand Liu better to help him, but it did not change his decisions. Houki wanted Liu to step out of Righteousness Union, but little did she know was that Liu was already bound to it. Stepping out can mean having his life cut immediately for abandoning those that helped him out. Liu made his choice to stay with Righteousness Union, which Houki decided to not intrude on the subject anymore.

"Liu, don't get the idea that I'm here to interrogate you," said Houki, drinking her boba. "I want to know you better because I did not expect you to be affiliated with Righteousness Union."

Liu said, "Understandable. I have no intention of making anyone a member of Righteousness Union, not even Rin. I had a similar conversation to Rin not too long ago. My parents did their best to steer me away from their lifestyle, but it fell apart when they were shot by a rival faction."

"Meaning that the Righteousness Union took you in," Houki finished his sentence. "I don't like that idea to have you molded to be like them, but they did it so you don't get abandoned. What I want to know is why you and Three Dragons had a falling out? You two were supposed to be friends."

"Me and Three Dragons were not even close of being friends the day we met," Liu told her. "What started as minor disputes now turned into major crisis. Even though we were in the same set, that does not mean we see each other eye to eye. The last straw that exploded was fighting over an IS."

Houki sniffed, shifted her weight. "Tabane reverse engineered it so that either you or Three Dragons claim it to clean up the mess you two created. I'm baffled that my sister had to do that."

"Yeah, and maybe it started out that way." Liu stretched his hands. "Three Dragons is still after me to pry my hands away to get Nightmare."

Houki frowned. "Look at this that showed up on my computer."

Liu and Houki saw pictures that were too graphic that it had to be censored. The picture depicted seven people killed not by guns, but they were beaten, stabbed to death by crude weapons and knives.

Houki read out loud, "A fight broke out at a fish market that left seven Righteousness Union members killed by masked assailants over territorial disputes. Police have not found the culprits that sparked the incident."

Liu eyed Houki with displeasure, slamming his fist on the table. "Bullshit! My associate saw the whole thing."

"Easy there, Liu," said Houki. "There's no need to have your emotions get the best of you. Start from the beginning, middle, and end. Facts, details, condense, plot, tell it."

Liu took a breather to start over. "My associate reported to Uncle Yuen that no rival factions stepped foot into Righteousness Union's territory today. Three Dragons and his followers deliberately killed seven Righteousness Union associates because they opposed him."

Houki was puzzled by Three Dragons' assault. "I get that part, but he won't accomplish something just for killing his people."

"Three Dragons did not intend to get rewarded. He displayed their corpses to anyone of Righteousness Union who dares stand his way, including us and the cops. This was a warning that he will dispose those that stood his way to steal Nightmare from me."

"Three Dragons must have bribed the media to alter the reality."

"Or worse, he might have blackmailed them to work for him and Phantom Task to rely on propaganda to convince people to join Phantom Task."

As much as Liu hate to talk about it, Houki shook her head.

"What kind of sicko kills their people?"

"Three Dragons does not see the world the way I do. There is no order, and there are no rules that he won't break. It's why I had to put an end to him for good."

Houki patted Liu's shoulder. "You're not the only one that's after Three Dragons. We're all doing this together."

With that being said, Houki smiled to assured that Liu has someone to back up. Houki turned off her computer as they continue to talk. Houki understood Liu better, and the conversation was not only beneficial to her, but for Liu to learn how to control his emotions. Liu's training was far from over as he still have a long way to go from completion.

* * *

Four flat screen TVs were displayed in front of the electronics store. A flock of people gathered around the TV as the news reporter televised another breaking news.

"A lone IS pilot robbed a convoy that belonged to a VIP. Turns out the IS pilot went rogue during a training session to steal IS weapons and Titan -M5 allegedly used to benefit Phantom Task. No shots were fired during the robbery, but it left the victims shaken up, unwilling to make further statements. The IS pilot tore her markings that betrayed the nationality of the unit. She said that she was sick of the society that looked her down. The police confirmed the method place and time of the robbery was the same as the masked gunman that engaged a vicious shootout at the police today. The police finds itself in a public relation crisis after an embarrassing defeat by the gunman in a ballistic showdown. The credibility of the police force drops to a nadir as Phantom Task ask volunteers to join them for a greater cause."


	27. Three Unwholesome Roots

**Opening song: Juicy J - Dope Fiend**

The crime rate has significantly increased that was influenced by the outbreak of Titan –M5. Crooks use the advantage of the enhanced drug specifically targeted at IS pilots as a way to bribe them. Some IS pilots blindly accept Titan –M5 for power, but at the cost of betraying their own people. Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department tried their best to stop the pour of Titan –M5, but they got their hands full with Righteousness Union civil war, and Phantom Task making a lot of noise. The civil war broke out because of Liu and Three Dragons' feud that spread like wildfire. Phantom Task blackmailed TMPD with incriminating evidence against them to make Chifuyu weak, but the Brunhilde would not yield that easily. In fact, Chifuyu devised a plan to strike back as she walked out of her office to look for Ichika and Cecilia. The Brunhilde can't do this alone as she needed some sort of distraction or strong muscle for her plan to execute.

"Ichika and Cecilia," said Chifuyu. "May I have a word with you two for a moment?"

"Sure thing, Orimura-sensei," said Ichika, remembering not to call her Chifuyu-nee.

Ichika and Cecilia followed Chifuyu to a hallway as she stopped, and sighed that made her little brother concerned.

"Are you all right?" Cecilia asked Chifuyu. "From your tone, something must have made you unhappy."

"Phantom Task," said Chifuyu, startling Ichika and Cecilia.

"Not them again," said Ichika, slightly clenching his teeth. "Don't these guys leave us alone for once to give us peace and serenity?"

Chifuyu rolled up her sleeves. "Phantom Task hacked TMPD to blackmail me to make me surrender, or they will release confidential information to the public for profit and destruction. I have some friends that work for the police force, and they were affected too."

The Brunhilde did not like to tell the reason behind to bring Ichika and Cecilia out, but it had to be done for them to understand her motive. Ichika and Cecilia frowned at Phantom Task's dark scheme that harmed the public safety.

"I got intel that a silver and blue bus is on Rainbow Bridge belonged to a smuggling ring for Phantom Task. I don't know what they are smuggling specifically, but the one calling the shots is Midari Yumemite, an IS pilot wanted for smuggling and robbery."

Chifuyu downloaded the data to Ichika and Cecilia into their personal IS so they know who to get. The duo can use any approach. Either they use obvious approach to stop them at the cost of drawing unwanted attention. Or use subtle approach that can be slow, but little to no risk.

"I'll also take in part of this mission in order to get information out of Midari. Do be careful because she can be unpredictable if she used an IS on us. Use it only if Midari strike first."

With that being said, Ichika and Cecilia prepared themselves as they walked to the rooftop, deployed their personal IS, and took off like a rocket. On the other hand, Chifuyu wore casual clothing with a dark brown wide brim hat to conceal her identity. Ichika and Cecilia were in the sky, searching for the target while Chifuyu was disguised as an informant for Midari. Once the duo found the target, they took pictures to send it to Chifuyu to confirm the location.

"Orimura-sensei, get ready to board in three minutes," said Ichika via transmitter. "Do be careful when you go inside."

"I'll be fine, Ichika. You tend to worry too much."

Cecilia giggled at Ichika's dumbstruck expression before he shrugged it off. Ichika and Cecilia landed on top of a building to rest as Chifuyu coordinated her undercover officers in position. The location to stop the bus was at a toll bridge, where her fellow officers wait. Even though they can do it without the help of Ichika and Cecilia, Chifuyu can't afford to let this mission go south, especially if Midari went haywire. For now, Ichika and Cecilia can only wait for further orders from Chifuyu.

* * *

Ichika and Cecilia went over the plan they devised if Midari try to escape using her IS.

"Cecilia, the target pilots a Rafale-Revive Basic just like Yamada-sensei, and from the information we gathered, it's not modified. Because the armaments are only sniper rifle and grenade launcher, you can easily stop her with your drones."

"I agree, but we have to minimize collateral damage. How will you prevent her from using her weapon?" Cecilia questioned Ichika.

"I will flank to disarm her if Midari tried to use her weapon. That way, she will run once again, and we will chase her down."

"Are you certain that a simple attack will make her vulnerable?"

"We're going to find out, Cecilia."

The English rabbit did not like the blue boy's hare brained plan as she had a better idea.

"As much as I wanted to say yes to go through, but I found a major flaw in your plan."

The blue boy raised his eyebrow. "What do you mean? It's perfectly fine."

"What happens if you miss? There's a high chance Midari will fight back, and that's not what we are here for. We will fly above her before we descend to stop her. The reason being is to make Midari the sense that she is not being followed. If Midari tried to fight, I'll stun her with my optical drones to resolve the situation peacefully."

Ichika thought for a while before he nodded his head. After all, they have to improvise to ensure that they nab their target without firing their own shots. For now, the duo has to wait for Chifuyu's signal to take action.

"It would give the impression that Midari has the right away to win, only to find herself on a losing side," Ichika commented.

"That is correct, my dear," Cecilia boasted of her plan. "We would be really lucky if Midari did not pull out her weapons."

"I'm counting on your improvised plan, Cecilia. I would hate to see this turn from bad to worse, especially dealing with a robber."

The Brunhilde boarded the dilapidated bus to make contact with Midari. It reeked of odor with worn out people sleeping in beds, but Chifuyu brushed it aside. Midari has medium length violet hair, red eyes with a beautiful face. Beneath her beauty was greed, cunning, and dangerous. As the bus cruise down the streets, it was time to get information.

"You wanted to discuss dividing the trade routes, Ms. Yumemite?" Chifuyu asked Midari.

"Yes. Please allow me to show you the outline of my offer. I'm sure you will appreciate of what I have that you can't say no."

Midari took out her brown briefcase, unlocking the codes as she revealed small stacks of paper filled with trade routes scribbled in blue and red ink. The maps were poorly drawn like a kindergartener, but it was done intentionally to give law enforcements a hard time to decipher them. Midari maintained her casual smile while Chifuyu kept her eye on her target. Nabbing her was the objective to cut off the main smuggling ring that will hurt Phantom Task big time.

"Forgive me for picking this place for negotiation with a wanted IS pilot for smuggling," said Midari, scratching her head. "There were too many cops as I had to find a…secluded area."

Chifuyu chuckled slightly, but it was a facade in order to put Midari in a good position. One false move can mean jeopardizing the mission, or hurting innocent civilians if Chifuyu or Midair sprang into action. Little did Chifuyu knew was the passengers are part of Midari's smuggling ring.

Chifuyu threw her with a duh look. "Don't apologize to me, I'm also a lowly life thug that's out to make a living for myself. Continue what you have to offer."

"If we somehow reach an agreement in this matter, I will get you in contact with you soon. As you are already aware, we act as the cover for a secret organization, Phantom Task. I supply what they demand, I get rewards in return. I beg your kind understanding and forgiveness regarding that."

The Brunhilde gave Midari a tangerine. "Midari, can you get to your main point?"

"Oh right," Midari said, eating the snack. "Due to huge presence of police cracking down routes, I propose to give you a route. I realized that holding routes more than what I can carry makes me a target to everyone. What you have to do is deliver the shipment from me, whether if it's IS parts, drugs, firearms, even sensitive information, you name it. You may choose any of them I give out, but I recommend the first one. Very low risk from running into cops and rival factions as you are protected by my guards. The other one is rather unfriendly with coast guards that crack down on smugglers."

To confirm Midari was not bluffing, Chifuyu played along. So far, Chifuyu acquired half of incriminating evidence via audio recorder on her pants.

"I have a counter offer to show you, Midari," Chifuyu said, taking out a USB flash drive.

Midari showed interest, smirking at her potential supplier/Academy professor. "Do show and tell."

"How about I give you this baby that contains data to upgrade your IS, along with your fellow pilots and technicians over the limit without restrictions…In exchange that you tell me all the locations that connect to your routes. For a sweetener, I'll provide you a Valkyrie Trace system by giving me the names of suppliers and workers that relate for you."

This was such a lucrative offer Midari could not take her eyes off of. Greed took the best of her judgment, staring at the hard drive that can make her powerful. If it meant selling some of her people out, Midari would do it in a heartbeat.

"The locations are not written in the maps I gave you, but they are within secluded spots of the underworld and in public streets. You see construction sites, two story offices with A&E signs and light blue executive buildings? Those are fronted to connect my smuggling routes."

That was all what Chifuyu needed to hear from the crooked IS pilot. Midari was more than just an idiot. She fell for the trick of working with an undercover that plotted to counterattack Phantom Task's blackmail. The bus belched huge amount of smoke from the tailpipe as it stopped at a toll bridge. The toll bridge operator coughed from the horrendous gas while the bus driver gave her money.

"Sir, what is wrong with your bus?" The operator questioned.

"The water tank is overheated," said the driver. "Can I get some water from your office?"

The operator nodded her head, calling on her telephone. Midari felt unnerved watching the conversation between the bus driver and operator. She closed her briefcase, tapping Chifuyu to put away her flash drive, sensing something's not good.

"Calling control center…" said the operator.

"Go ahead."

"An overheated bus needs to refill water…"

Midari looked slightly nervous at the operator that made eye contact. She turned to Chifuyu if she knew the answer.

"Something's wrong," said Midari. "Do you think that we…"

Chifuyu shook her head. "I don't think so. The driver said the water tank's overheated."

"Just drive over there," said the operator. "We will refill the water tank."

The bus slowly crawled to a stop to have its water tank refilled, but this was part of the sting operation. Midari looked at the back window to see the operator walking towards her as onlookers to her right watch. Those were not civilians because they were undercover agents waiting to spring their trap. Midari got agitated, walking to the exit while Chifuyu adjusted her hat.

"We have to get off…" said Midari, clenching her right fist.

"What do you mean?" Chifuyu questioned the criminal.

"Go, go!"

Midari opened the door to make her escape, right when she stepped on pavement, a mob of undercover agents were chasing her. Half of them went after the passengers as some of them try to escape.

"This is the police! Stop running!"

Midari ran like a wild horse with Chifuyu and her agents in pursuit. Like a game of leap frog, Midari narrowly avoided being hit by cars. Midari activated Rafale-Revive Basic, ditching her "partner" behind as she flew in a frenzy pace.

"Cecilia, Midari is on the run. Stop her now!" Chifuyu commanded. "Ichika! Bring her towards me."

"Roger that!" Cecilia and Ichika said in unison, taking off to stop Midari. Luckily, they are going against Midari, whose skills are rather below average compared to the combined strengths of Ichika and Cecilia. One strong move can stop Midari at her tracks.

Midari did not pay attention that Cecilia and Ichika flew above her ready to put the brakes on her. If she did not have tunnel vision, Midari should have already known she was being pursued by the first male IS pilot and an English Cadet Representative. As Midari increased her speed, she was stopped by Cecilia and Ichika.

"Stop right there!" Cecilia said, aiming her Blue Pierce at the crook. To her right, Ichika drew his Yukihara as a mean to make her surrender peacefully.

"There's nowhere to run, Midari!" Ichika exclaimed. "Surrender right now, and you will live another day."

Midari sweat profusely staring at the English Representative, knowing how strong she is. "You children have no idea who you're dealing with."

"Children you say? I hope I misheard what you just said."

Though Cecilia hid it herself, she was clearly angry that the low-life criminal called her and Ichika kids. Midari looked left and right to escape from the hands of Cecilia and Ichika. Midari gritted her teeth, aiming her sniper rifle at Cecilia, but the English Representative responded by deploying optical drones. Four drones against a mere sniper rifle was clearly a lose situation as Midari cursed in her mind. Midari took off again, prompting Ichika to charge at her with an overhead attack. The blade sliced Midari's rifle in half, causing her adrenaline to increase by tenfold. Midari was flabbergasted that she lost her weapon in 15 seconds the moment she ran into Cecilia and Ichika.

"I'm not done yet!" Midari proclaimed, deploying her grenade launcher. Cecilia anticipated her attack, and she let loose of her optical drones to disarm her last weapon. Midari's grenade launcher was swiped clean away from her hands, and she was shocked beyond belief. The only option left was to keep running as Midari increased her speed.

"You're not getting away this time!" Ichika said, chasing Midari. The criminal had poor sense of direction because Midari went back to square one, where she took off in the first place. Cecilia fired non-lethal rounds at Midari to distract her, and Ichika struck her back, sending Midari flying out of control. All her controls were non-functional, and Midari skidded against the pavement.

"Give it up," Ichika warned. "You have nowhere to run."

"Fuck you!" Midari shouted, deploying smoke screen at Cecilia and Ichika that attempted to pin her down as she deactivated her IS to run again. Midari's misguided field trip came to an end when Chifuyu, out of nowhere tackled Midari from her left side. Undercover officers help the Brunhilde put the cuffs on the rogue IS pilot trying to break free as Cecilia and Ichika gave a sigh of relief.

Midari's eyes widened in shock that her "partner" was an undercover that arrested her. Chifuyu did not say a word before Midari was taken away. The Brunhilde glanced at the passengers detained by undercover cops as she walked towards Cecilia and Ichika.

"Nice job on stopping Midari without collateral damage," Chifuyu praised Cecilia and Ichika. "I was expecting that Midari would put up a fight, but she was a coward that would fight those that are weaker than her."

"From the moment I saw Midari running away from us, I knew she was scared," said Ichika. "What are you going to do with her now?"

"I will take it from here." Chifuyu walked towards the crime scene before she turned back around. "Be sure to keep an eye out on Liu so he does not fall out of line."

Cecilia nodded her head. "I got it under control, Orimura sensei." Then she gave her usual Ojou-Sama mode, being prideful as usual. "I have something up my sleeves to ensure Liu does not go out of control."

Ichika loomed over to Cecilia, curious of her plans. "What in exactly are you going to use on Liu?"

Cecilia turned on him. "Oh you're going to find out, Ichika dear."

"What? I'm not understanding of your statement."

"Do you always have to be so nosy? Like I said, you will find out soon enough!"

Ichika should have stopped himself, didn't. "If you say so, Cecilia, I won't pester you now."

With that being said, Cecilia and Ichika flew back to the Academy, where the blue boy went to the public bath. Cecilia saw Charlotte and Laura sparring at the Academy. They showed exceptional fighting skills, trading with sparks flying from metal bashing. Once Charlotte and Laura finished their training, the duo went over to Cecilia.

"What brings you here, Cecilia?" The French girl questioned.

"Ichika and I just finished assisting Operation Exodus. We still have our task to babysit Liu. I have a plan to make it work."

Laura deactivated Schwarzer Regen, tilting her head in confusion. "Explain your plan as I'm all ears to hear it."

"What if we team up against Liu to train him of fighting multiple opponents? I don't think he has experienced fighting more than one opponent. That ought to keep him busy for a while."

Charlotte and Laura got hooked from the English rabbit's plan as they have a conversation of how to execute it.

* * *

 **Time: 3:57PM - NTT Medical Center Tokyo**

The general hospital was busy as usual with doctors and nurses working hard to keep the patients alive and healthy. This was not an ordinary busy day, especially with over dozens of people squatting against the hallway in cuffs. Undercover officers dealt with them individually while Chifuyu supervised a woman in a room. She was squatting with a bowl underneath, trying to take a dump. The woman tried her best before she sobbed, and Chifuyu gave her a tissue to show empathy.

The reason she had to take a dump was they smuggled drugs inside of their bodies to beat security checkpoint. After all, they were part of Midari's pawns that did her dirty work. Chifuyu patted the sobbing passenger's shoulder to ease off the tension as the woman was forcefully recruited to do Midari's work. Perhaps, she will be cleared of her charges to start over.

On the other room, Midari was on a bed with a tube stuck into her butt, emptying out the drugs she smuggled. Doctors observed Midari's x-ray photos while Chifuyu folded her arms.

"Take a look at Midari," the doctor said. "Among all those arrested, she has the largest quantity of drugs in her body."

"Doctor," said Chifuyu. "According to your estimation, how much pods did Midari carry?"

"Roughly about 20 pods, Chifuyu."

"Is Midari okay from her dump?"

"The drug pods found in her colons are intact. There are no signs of cracks, but look at this. The edges of the pods inside the colon…have displayed some shiny spots. They should be air crescent signs. We have to treat her first to avoid a rupture."

Chifuyu cleaned up the drug pods Midari just emptied out as she encountered her clearly pissed off. Midari carried a bowl to empty out more contents ordered by the officers. Midari had the right to be mad at her so-called partner that sold her out to the cops. Little did Midari know was Chifuyu knew it all.

"You motherfucker!" Midari growled. "You betrayed me!"

Chifuyu was not going to put up with her flippant attitude as the Brunhilde responded with a headbutt that knocked Midari against the wall. The crook kneeled in pain, unable to nurse the bruise on her forehead as she is still handcuffed.

"You're an IS pilot turned rogue for robbery, drug and arms trafficking. I did not betray you; I busted you."

The crook still did not understand. "You betrayed me! You want me dead!"

The Brunhilde turned her back to work with the doctors as Midari impulsively tried to assault her. Officers subdued her again before Chifuyu turned around.

"Did you not know you will tell us everything to Phantom Task? You're lucky we're not in China as they have zero tolerance on drugs. You would be executed for smuggling narcotics in their motherland."

Midari took offense, trying to break free from the hands of the officers. "Shithead! I'll kill you!"

Chifuyu had enough of babysitting Midari that won't shut up for one second. The Brunhilde slammed Midari, glaring at her briefly that shook the criminal before she threw her to another room, along with her bowl.

"Go shit yourself!" Chifuyu berated Midari.

With her work done, Chifuyu walked past Midari's detained workers as she send a text message back to Squall. The Brunhilde's intention was not to wave a white flag to surrender.

I got your message to surrender. Unfortunately, your client got carried away of being invincible, and she is arrested by the cops. I suggest you stop the blackmail, or I will seal off all of your operations. You don't believe me? Just wait until you step outside, cops have the whole place on lockdown. They already raided half of your activities. – The Brunhilde

One click of the button, the message went back to Phantom Task, and Chifuyu was almost satisfied to counterattack Phantom Task's blackmail. However, this does not mean a guarantee victory as Phantom Task still has the evidence to turn Japan upside down. If they dare to release it, Chifuyu will shut off their operations to cripple their income sources. Either way, the outcomes will not be peaceful, forcing both sides into a stalemate.

* * *

 **Time: 5:09PM – Gym**

Back at IS Academy, classmates work out while Rin and Liu were at the dance studio doing intensive cardio and core workout. Sweat dripped from their bodies as they did burpees. Rin appeared fine, but Liu gasped for air.

"Come on, Liu!" Rin shouted. "You can't handle today's easy workout?"

"Yeah I can keep up," said Liu, trying to keep up the pace. "It's just that I hate doing this!"

"No excuses, you need to work on getting cut because you're too heavy."

After they finished burpees, the duo had quick breaks in between exercises before they get back to it. Liu clearly did not enjoy this training session because the moment he started, Liu already crapped out in less than three minutes. Rin pushed him to the limit that Liu puked as he was not used to the backbreaking exercises. Puking was not an excuse for Liu to stop as he soldiered on.

Rin was accustomed to it, but Liu was not as she made him do it to strengthen his physique. After all, there was more than just weight training for Liu to be physically strong. No matter how hard training was, Liu did not complain to not get Rin on her bad side. What made Liu not to run his mouth off was Houki's training that disciplined him. Liu ran out of energy, though Rin was also tired in the process.

Rin and Liu work out for 35 minutes before they take a longer break to replenish their energies. Liu sat down as Rin gave him a bottle of water.

"This reminded me of Houki's rough training," said Liu, drinking water. "On a scale of 1 through 10, it's over 9000."

"If you thought that was bad enough," said Rin, adjusting her twintails. "You should watch her training with Ichika because she does not go easy."

"I guess that's how Ichika became popular with the ladies," said Liu. "Yet, the bluenette is dense as a black hole that the girls are in love with him."

Rin slightly chuckled. "Not quite because he's the first boy to pilot an IS in an all-girls IS Academy. Yet, I'm baffled that you have the ability to pilot an IS that was reverse engineered."

"Even though Tabane was behind this, she deliberately did it so she does not clean up her mess."

Liu could not stop thinking of Tabane's carefree attitude that did not bother her, even though she was technically at fault for reverse engineering an IS only women can pilot. Then again, Tabane does what she likes best to be a happy go round pink rabbit.

"Rin, you're not the only one that knows me."

Rin piped up, "What is it that you're trying to say?"

Liu scoffed and said, "When Houki trained me, she found out my identity that I'm a Righteousness Union."

Rin said, "I would not be surprised, considering that Houki's intelligence is top notch to decipher and analyze the details of you. She did not reveal this to the public?"

"Houki kept this a secret too. As long as no one else knows this, everything will be okay."

With that being said, Rin and Liu resume to exercise. Despite the rigorous workout Rin put up, Liu fought through as part of his training to defeat Three Dragons. They work out for 1 hour, 30 minutes as they call it day for now.

"Cecilia, Charlotte, and Laura called you in for IS training," Rin said. "They said it's useful to train with them for you to learn about fighting multiple opponents."

Liu sighed. "I might as well get with the program as they are putting their effort to help my training."

* * *

 **Time: 7:13PM – Stadium**

Liu arrived at the intended destination, the Stadium where Charlotte, Cecilia, and Laura were supposed to be at. The problem was the trio were not here, and the dragon had no idea he was about to get a rude awakening. Cecilia partial deployed her optical drones, firing non-lethal rounds at Liu that he narrowly avoided.

"What the-?!"

Liu partial deployed Heavenly Emperor to deflect the projectiles, utilizing Kendo techniques he learned from Houki. Liu was not clear from danger because Charlotte activated Garm, and fired at Liu. The dragon rolled over just in time as Laura charged in with her beam sabers to trade blows. Liu focused on fighting Laura that he was a vulnerable target for Cecilia and Charlotte. Cecilia took aim, and shot Liu's left bicep, paralyzing him. Laura went for an overhead slash as Liu leaned back, but Charlotte fired near his feet. Liu lost his balance before Laura delivered a roundhouse kick to his face. Her foot connected his left temple so strong that Liu face planted to the ground.

"Ugh…" Liu groaned, getting up to his feet. "What kind of greeting was that supposed to be?"

"That was to see if you have good reflexes," said Laura. "It seems that you got tossed around like a pinball, and we did not even use our full strength."

"In other words," said Charlotte. "You need to be familiar dealing with multiple foes if you encounter one someday."

"Don't worry, you will get used to this training."

Back in his days, Liu had a few share fighting a mob, but fighting with an IS was a different playing field. The trio knew that this training would be suitable to work on Liu's weakness of fighting more than one opponent. When they attack Liu without warning, it was to test his anticipation.

The girls and Liu withdrew their IS weapons to stretch before they start Liu's second training. Had it not been for Rin's workout session, Liu would have run out of energy from the girls' attacks.

"You're so accustomed fighting one opponent that you leave yourself wide open," Laura commented.

"Am I really a walking target?" said Liu.

Charlotte said, "Yes, based on how Cecilia and I scored direct hits on you while you were fighting Laura."

"Ah." Liu scratched his head, a ruminative habit he had adopted not too long ago.

"Once you complete this training, you will do much better than today," Cecilia commented. "After all, you're not the only one that's learning from us."

The English Representative turned at Ichika stretching. "Ichika dear! Did you enjoy the pre-show? You will soon jump in to experience it all. I still have plenty of time to train you more to keep up with me."

Liu slightly shuddered, but Laura and Charlotte were not amused at Cecilia's charm to impress Ichika. The bluenette was speechless as Cecilia got too flirtatious with him until Laura dragged Cecilia away from him by her ear.

"I'm astonished that you have not come up with a new technique," Laura lamented, pulling Cecilia's earlobe.

"I get the feeling that Cecilia is a desperate need for male companionship to get Ichika that grew worse as she failed to gain it," said Liu.

"I heard that!" Cecilia said.

"Is this what Cecilia meant by revealing her plan to me?" Ichika questioned.

Ichika snickered from Liu's remark before Chifuyu appeared. The Brunhilde was also not impressed at Cecilia trying to woo Ichika.

Chifuyu frowned. "Ichika, there's no need for you to hang around. You still have homework to do. Brock, quit horsing around, and get back to work."

Charlotte, Laura, and Liu were amused at Chifuyu scolding Cecilia, especially when she intentionally called her Brock. After the Brunhilde left, they activated their personal IS to commence training.

"I'll explain what this training is about," said Cecilia, adjusting her BITS. "You will fight three of us to see how you deal with more than one opponent. If you run out of energy shields, you lose. Even if you defeat one of us, and you can't continue, you lose too. You may use any tactics you have. Is that clear?"

Liu nodded his head. "I'm ready whenever you ladies are."

Cecilia and Charlotte deployed their guns while Laura activated her beam sabers. Liu called forth his Venom Slug and Heavenly Emperor on his hands.

"We're not going easy on you," said Laura, cracking her knuckles. "I hope you know what you're doing."

Cecilia and Charlotte flew up to distract Liu with their firearms as he fought Laura. The dragon fired his Venom Slug at Cecilia and Charlotte before he engaged in a sword fight with Laura. The German rabbit attacked ferociously while Liu blocked her strikes, dodging Cecilia's BITS and Charlotte's firearms simultaneously. Laura utilized her 6 wire-guided daggers that whipped Liu. She was not done yet as Laura constricted Liu's left arm with her cables, and Charlotte let loose of her Vent. Five .55 cal rounds scored direct hits on Liu, damaging his energy shield.

"I'm afraid you will not make it in three minutes, Liu," said Laura, charging her Purizushi.

The railgun slowly glow bright orange aimed at Liu while Cecilia aimed her missile pods. Liu was caught in the wires, and one hit from the railgun will drop his energy shield dangerously low. Before Laura can shoot Liu point blank, the dragon dashed with Heavenly Emperor, and slashed Laura in the face that staggered her backwards. Cecilia let loose her missiles that chased Liu, prompting him to fly up and fired his Venom Slug. Cecilia and Liu exchanged gunfire, flying in different directions as Charlotte covered fire to assist Cecilia.

Laura was fine, and she let loose her Purizushi with a deafening boom. Cecilia tried to score hits with her missiles as Liu evaded her projectiles. In response, Liu fired a large crescent beam slash from Heavenly Emperor. The English Representative evaded the dark beam before Liu opened fire that pelted Cecilia, slightly damaging her energy shield.

Cecilia gained enough distance to fire her Blue Pierce that shot Liu in the chest. Charlotte backed off, holding her Vent and fired. Liu zigzagged like a shark cutting through water. Liu thought he had the advantage to turn the tables, but Charlotte used Rapid Switch. She was already wielding Rain of Saturday in less than one second.

"Did you forget that I have Rapid Switch?" said Charlotte, firing her heavy shotgun. "Never always assume you have victory immediately."

Liu could not dodge in time as he took a shot to the rib cage, dropping his energy shield significantly. Charlotte deployed Shield Pierce to stab Liu as the latter swung back. Sparks flied from metal bashing against each other while Cecilia fired her optical drones. Liu shot multiple laser beams in a concentrated pattern at Charlotte before he deflected projectiles from the optical drones.

"I have had it with these motherfucking drones on this motherfucking training!" Liu exclaimed, getting away from the drones chasing him. Laura continued firing as Liu opened fire, and the former activated AIC, blocking his incoming attack easily.

Liu attempted to burst Laura's AIC, but tried as he might, it would not crack. The optical drones accidentally weakened her AIC as it's not designed to withstand multiple foes. Liu found an opening to hack and slash Laura, damaging her energy shield further. Liu stopped to catch a breath from the girls' combined teamwork while Cecilia and Charlotte aimed their weapons at the dragon.

When Liu was back on his feet, he took off like a rocket at Laura.

"Oh no you don't," Laura said, releasing her wired daggers again. Liu was not going to fall for it, so he flew her around in a frantic pace. The wire daggers tried to bind him, but by the time Liu was clear, it wrapped themselves around Laura, where she least expect it. Tied in her own weapon like a cocoon, Laura struggled to break free while Liu charged towards Cecilia, firing his Venom Slug.

Cecilia let her optical drones do the work, and Liu swung his dark sword, forcing Cecilia to double back. Her optical drones rendered useless from Cecilia moving around as she fired her Blue Pierce. Once Cecilia was far enough, Liu turned at Charlotte, returning fire. Charlotte deflected them with her Shield Pierce, dashing at Liu for a melee combat. They hack and slash at a vivid pace, trying to score a direct hit. Charlotte shield bashed Liu, but he responded with a stronger blow that dazed Charlotte.

"I'm not out yet, boy!" Laura shouted, free of her restraints.

The German rabbit fired her Purizushi as Liu recklessly dive bombed, firing his Venom Slug. Laura activated AIC to negate his attack as she tried to stab Liu with her beam saber. Unfortunately for Laura, Liu parried her strike before he delivered few swift blows that knocked Laura out.

By the time Cecilia and Charlotte regain their composures, they saw Liu holding the unconscious Laura as a human shield.

"What are you going to do now?" Liu questioned Cecilia and Charlotte.

Before Charlotte opened fired her Vent, Liu fired Purizushi at the girls. Cecilia and Charlotte were separated before Liu used his immense strength to hurl Laura at Charlotte. By the time she caught Laura; Liu pursued the English rabbit. Cecilia deployed optical drones to end it. Somehow, Liu grabbed ahold of an optical drone, and he destroyed her drones.

Cecilia could not believe that her own weapons destroyed each other before Liu threw it like a javelin. Cecilia got smacked from her own optical drone as Liu went for an overhead slash. Cecilia activated Interceptor to fend off his strikes. Cecilia's time came to an end when Liu disarmed her melee weapon, and he stabbed Cecilia with a forceful blow, damaging her energy shield to zero.

Cecilia fell lifelessly to the ground before Liu fired his Venom Slug at Charlotte eluding his bullets. The duo chased each other, exchanging gunfire to score a hit. Even though Charlotte damaged Liu, he ultimately came on top from his Venom Slug that knocked her out.

* * *

Liu managed to hold off Cecilia, Charlotte, and Laura, despite the overwhelming advantages the girls had. Liu was far from over completing his training as they took a break to recover their energy shields. Liu slowly picked up their fighting styles as he knows how to fight them all at once. Day after day, Liu showed some progress that earned the girls' respect that their training paid Liu well. After all, Liu must know how to anticipate the unpredictable, and be aware of his surroundings.

"Too slow," said Charlotte, deploying Shield Pierce. "This could have concluded your training with a good note."

The French girl parried Liu's attack before she smacked him in the stomach, and down goes the dragon. Even though Liu defeated Cecilia, Laura wore out Liu to allow Charlotte deliver her finishing move. They deactivated their personal IS to call it a day as Liu patched himself up.

"Your Rapid Switch is indeed your strongest technique," Liu said.

They were relaxing in the cafeteria with classmates waiting in line to get cheesecake, mont blanc, and cream puffs. Liu saw the line that stretched down to the hallway, but he did not bother to get sweets. Cecilia, Charlotte, and Laura helped themselves with pastries they got from the cafeteria while Liu drank protein shake.

Ever since Liu started his training, he was on a strict diet thanks to Rin to ensure he ate the right nutrition. The mouthwatering pastries did not help Liu to fix his diet while the girls eat. Instead, Liu ate pasta with steamed broccoli and lemon chicken sauce.

"I found a way to win Ichika's heart," said Laura, folding her arms.

Every time Laura has an idea, it's a spell for disaster thanks to Clarissa Harfouch, Lieutenant of Schwarzer Hase.

"Oh no…" Charlotte groaned, preparing for the worst.

"I sought advice from Lieutenant Clarissa. The answer is women seek kisses as memories, and men seek boobs!"

Liu remain unfazed given of his Triad nature, yet he thinks only to himself of what men and women really want as memories. While the dragon ate his food, Liu inadvertently thought of Laura's statement that made him slip into a dream with Rin by his side at a grassy field.

 _"Lingyin, I like the sweet and sour pork you made for me," said Liu. "I understood promise that you said before."_

 _Rin fidgeted, playing her twintails. "You mean that if I became an excellent cook-"_

 _"I would become your boyfriend," Liu finished her sentence. "I don't mean that you make me free meals every day."_

 _Rin was amazed that Liu figured out the sweet and sour pork promise right away. While Rin was in bliss, Liu stroked her chin._

 _"While the food you made is top notch, nothing is more exquisite than your body."_

 _"Liu, I'm happy that you found the meaning of my promise, I'm ready to be all yours…"_

This was what Liu's thought of men and women really want as memories. Just as they were about to proceed to the next stage, Liu quickly snapped back to reality, brushing it off to prevent indecent thoughts about Rin.

 _Someone should really help Laura with those indecent advices she received from her manga enthusiast._

Cecilia slammed her hands on the table while Charlotte was disgusted by Laura's nonsense crap she spouted.

"What kind of advice was that supposed to be!?" Cecilia exclaimed. "That was pure filth coming out of your wretched mouth!"

"Nonsense," Laura retorted. "Clarissa's advices never let me down. She told me it's the way to attract Ichika by-"

"No!" Charlotte covered her friend's mouth to muffle her dirty words. "Please fire your Lieutenant that gave you terrible inaccurate advices that believed everything in shojo manga."

While Cecilia was outraged at Laura being spoon fed from her boss, Liu drank his protein shake like it did not bother him. Liu could not help but chuckle at Cecilia and Charlotte zipping Laura's mouth shut to prevent her from spewing bad advices. The pastries just sold out, much to the dismay of Honne that wasted time deciding whether to get it or not due to the fact that she abstain sweets for a week.

The classmates were either hanging out with friends, studying over the weekend, or shop for the entire day. All seemed peaceful inside the Academy, but not in the underworld that stirred up a lot of heat lately. Cops put their foot down to crack down several operations ran by Phantom Task and rival Triad factions with numerous arrests made. Thanks to Phantom Task that tried to blackmail Chifuyu, the law enforcement responded by playing their own game to make it even.

* * *

 **Time: 8:43AM – Underworld**

"Squall, I'm ready to fulfill your orders," said Three Dragons, walking with Shen next to him. The duo were ordered by Squall to raid an IS lab to steal IS parts and one IS core.

Three Dragons could not wait to test out his new toys Tabane gave him. Three Dragons did not have the ability to pilot an IS, so Tabane created IS weaponry compatible for him to fight against IS pilots. Three Dragons and Shen reached towards the IS lab, where technicians, scientists and pilots were testing out their inventions.

Without warning, Shen deployed Dread Gauntlet to kick the door down that it flew across the room, nearly decapitating a worker. The scorpion fired her dual gatling guns towards the ceiling with earsplitting sound. Shen aimed her guns at the terrified workers to show dominance. While Shen controlled the crowd, Three Dragons activated Moon Blade, a Guandao that has a menacing heavy blade with irregular serrations. On the end of the polearm was a spike to catch an opponent's weapon, or to strike. Three Dragons' hands and forearms protruded navy blue armor to protect him.

Three IS pilots tried to activate their personal IS, but Three Dragons was not going to allow that to happen. On his right arm came Oblivion, a .81 cal cannon **(Author's Note: Look up Shockwave from DOTM)** that reached down to his ankles. Three Dragons pointed his cannon at the pilots that made them rethink their actions, especially when the barrel charged light blue with a whirring sound.

"Down! Everybody down!" Three Dragons shouted.

To make his point across, Three Dragons fired his Oblivion at the wall that shook the ground like an earthquake. The light blue projectile left nothing in its trace as it did not leave ashes, marks, or even rounds. It just exterminates. The hostages quivered in fear from the devastating weapon Three Dragons used. The Righteousness Union associate took his time to loot IS parts composed of weapons, defense systems and packages. Last but not least came to an IS core Three Dragons stole for Phantom Task's next scheme. With the loot in his duffel bag, the objective was complete.

The duo raided the IS lab in less than one minute, leaving the workers still terrified, even though they left the area. Three Dragons and Shen returned to base without trouble, revealing their loot to Squall. Kaori and Madoka were present as Squall nodded her head, inspecting the IS parts she intended to upgrade Madoka, Shen, and Kaori.

Squall adjusted her red dress. "Shen, deploy Dread Gauntlet for me please. Kaori and M, you do the same thing."

The Phoenix, scorpion, and Madoka activated their personal IS while Squall inspected them. By the time Squall finished, she clasped her hands.

"Thanks to Three Dragons and Shen's effort," Squall said. "You three will receive some upgrades to give you a better fighting advantage. Shen, you will receive railguns to replace your missile pods. Kaori, small gatling guns will be placed on your shoulders. It has a high-rate of fire, but has little power against IS; however, the gatling gun can damage lightly armored areas. Lastly, your fire manipulation has been tuned to produce greater power, including blue fire."

The leader turned to Madoka. "As for you, a hyper sensor package has been installed to respond speeds over 550km/hr."

The trio followed Squall to test out their new toys while Three Dragons grabbed a Titan –M5 laying on the table. Even though it was designed for IS pilots, Three Dragons and Squall tested the enhanced drug to increase his strength even more. After several trials and errors, the drug was finally complete as Three Dragons injected himself with the Titan –M5.

The dragon clenched his left fist that glowed light blue all over his veins to the entire body. Three Dragons felt the power surging through his body, feeling twice as strong before his eyes flashed blue briefly. Three Dragons was definitely ready to wreak havoc.


	28. Yoru e Isogu Hito

**Opening song: Ania Dabrowska – Sound of Silence**

 **Time: 10:32PM – Phantom Task Hideout**

Squall oversees Three Dragons, Shen, and Kaori's training session. Three Dragons partial deployed Oblivion and Moon Blade to spar Behemoth with Titan –M5 coursing through his body. Three Dragons felt stronger than before, landing consecutive blows with precision while Behemoth fought back. The Lion leader did not break a sweat matching move for move at Three Dragons as he was still not up to par to fight an IS pilot. Nevertheless, the dragon soldiered on to get stronger thanks to the stimulant drug he used.

Three Dragons' reflexes and strength increased by tenfold while he concentrated on surviving fighting against Behemoth. While those two were going at it, Kaori activated Phoenix to run an obstacle course Squall set up. Kaori took off instantly, doing barrel rolls and firing her gatling guns at stationary targets. The Phoenix's gatling guns spat huge firepower that disintegrated her targets in less than three seconds. Kaori launched incendiary missiles while she manipulated fire with intensifying heat that turned blue. Like a fighter jet, Kaori gracefully flew, releasing residues of fire on the ground.

Last but not least, Shen lifted weights and she did intensive core workout to build her endurance. Even though the scorpion was a capable IS pilot, Squall trained Shen to increase her stamina to ensure she can withstand consistent punishment. The trio trained with utmost determination to fight Liu, especially Three Dragons so he can steal Nightmare for good. The scorpion deployed Dread Gauntlet to train her new weapons, firing her dual railguns. The scorpion tore through moving targets with her tekko-gaki that she sliced them into ribbons. Squall remained indifferent as she turned at Madoka.

"Would you mind going down to assist Shen's training?"

Madoka frowned in disgust. "I am not her babysitter, Squall. Three Dragons can take care of the scorpion. I have better things to do, such as killing Chifuyu and Ichika."

"You will find Shen useful should you run into Chifuyu in the future."

Madoka scoffed. "No thanks, I don't need assistance to kill the Orimura sibilings."

The black butterfly stared at the dragon fighting intensively against Behemoth. Madoka was unimpressed at Shen training her new weapons. Their faces were dead serious to achieve their specific goals. Shen did not have a long-term goal, unlike Three Dragons. The scorpion's goal was to kill Chifuyu where she could not complete the last time they fought at Kyoko.

"Three Dragons is out to kill Liu so he can steal Nightmare for Kaori," Squall explained. "Shen has the same goal as you to kill Chifuyu. The scorpion might get overconfident fighting Chifuyu on her own. It's best that you keep an eye out on her to not get her carried away."

"I'm the one that deserved the right to fight Chifuyu," Madoka said. "Shen is never a match for nee-san, and she is a third-rate pilot."

"I would be careful if I were you, M."

"Why would you ask me that?"

Squall took a step back before Shen leaped upwards to land behind Madoka with an imposing height. Madoka was unfazed staring at the mechanical scorpion. Shen did not appreciate Madoka's remark towards her as she made a cutthroat gesture.

"Was that supposed to be a threat against me?" Madoka questioned the silent bodyguard.

"…"

Madoka raised her eyebrow at Shen being silent as usual. Little did Madoka know was the quiet one would be the deadliest of all. Should Madoka question Shen again, the scorpion might strike before Madoka can blink. The butterfly was annoyed at Shen's silent persona as if it was a silent insult.

Madoka clenched her left fist, feeling the anger boiling up. "You mute roach. If you have something to say, then do it in my face."

"…"

Shen threw her middle finger at Madoka, provoking her even more. Madoka clenched her teeth, feeling anger reaching to her boiling point. Madoka was on the edge of killing Shen in three seconds if the scorpion remained silent. Shen pointed her tekko-gaki that extended its sharp blades at Madoka's throat. In response to the threat, Madoka aimed her Star Breaker, charging BT energy to kill Shen in any second. Squall did not like to deal with small disputes, especially Shen and Madoka threatening to blow each other's brains out.

The leader patted Madoka and Shen to prevent them fighting at each other. "Madoka and Shen. Please put your weapons down. Or should I make you do it with my bare hands?"

Squall partial deployed Golden Dawn with her tail snaked around the duo with its sharp claws. Madoka and Shen were fixated on making their first move until the tail got closer to bind them. The duo reluctantly obeyed Squall's direct order, much to the amusement of Squall. Madoka wanted to kill Shen because of her silent personality that irked her.

"Shen," said Squall. "Madoka will provide assistance for your training. This is an opportunity for you to know each other, and play nice, okay?"

The scorpion's facial expression did not change. But Shen was unhappy having to work with Madoka that shared the same goal of killing Chifuyu. Shen attempted to rebuke Squall's decision, but the leader overturned her decision with a smile on her face. Even with a simple expression, it was merely a mask to hide her ruthlessness. Shen stood down as she went back to training with Madoka tagging along. Clearly, Madoka does not get along with Kaori, and working with Shen made it worse as she sees her irritable, mute Phantom Task agent.

The Phantom Task leader read the message Chifuyu sent her not too long ago to counter against the blackmail. Squall shook her head, knowing well that the situation has become a stalemate between her and Chifuyu. Any side that took further action will result in a violent conclusion. Squall does not like needless overdoing things as she walked away towards her foot soldiers and the remaining Lion pilots.

"Time for us to find ourselves a new home at this fine city," said Squall, adjusting her red dress. "Chifuyu played our game, and she won. The Brunhilde send out cops to flush out our presence, calling us out to challenge her. If that's what Chifuyu wants, we will give it to her."

Men and women foot soldiers stood still, waiting further orders from the leader. They were not agitated or nervous with cops enforcing the streets. In fact, they took it a stride, despite the setback they suffered from Midari arrested. Squall pointed her holographic projector with the map of the underworld, moving blocks around.

"Occupy whatever facilities you see fit," said Squall. "Preferably places that does not get yourselves arrested or killed from the cops should you run afoul. The Lion pilots are your superiors to take orders from that they will provide assistance in fights."

The foot soldiers and Lion pilots walk out of the facility to spread out at the underworld while Squall returned to train Shen, Kaori, Madoka, and Three Dragons. The reason being Squall spread out her foot soldiers and Lion pilots was the cops will raid on their hideout soon. Squall was not deterred as she can simply scatter her resources to good use. Shen and Madoka traded blows with sparks flying every direction to give it their best. Three Dragons and Behemoth were about to go again until Behemoth was called in by Squall and Rain, along with two Lion pilots codename Seryu and Gate.

Seryu was a young woman with auburn hair and amber eyes that wore her hair in a long ponytail that almost reached the ground. Gate has long waist-length silver hair and bright red eyes. Their personalities were just like Behemoth: cold, ruthless, and bereft of emotions.

"Behemoth, Seryu and Gate," said Squall. "Rain here has something to show you."

"Consider this a guarantee victory fighting against my former classmates," Rain told the three, uploading combat data from Ichika and the girls.

Behemoth, Seryu and Gate read the data while Rain looked in amusement of their appearances, notably their hair color and eyes.

Rain smirked. "Where's your biological weapon that transforms into a huge fighting machine resembling a dog? You don't have a psychotic personality with a twisted sense of right and wrong. Gate, I don't see your bunny ears that you offered yourself to the first moronic prince to save your people in the past."

Seryu and Gate frowned in disgust at Squall's niece that she had to throw out unnecessary anime references. Rain shrugged at Seryu and Gate as she waited for them to finish reviewing their data. Before Rain can poke fun at Behemoth, the lion beat her to it.

"Yes, I am the special agent that wears a gas mask at all times," said Behemoth in a sarcastic tone. "I don't need to collect a sample Titan –M5 for Phantom Task."

Perhaps Rain must have watched too much anime to point out their appearances, except for Behemoth because she was called out several times. The Lion pilots got the essentials to prepare themselves to strike back at the Academy again in the future. Squall folded her arms, watching her foot soldiers scrambling to execute the plan.

* * *

 **Time: 12:58PM – Righteousness Union Headquarters**

Three Dragons and Shen concluded their training while Kaori stayed behind for additional training. The dragon had not seen the Dragon Head, Yuen Hoi-pang, better known as Uncle Yuen, so he decided to pay a visit. After all, it does not hurt to catch up to the Dragon Head of Righteousness Union that ran the underworld, despite the heavy presence of cops. Three Dragons and Shen stepped foot into the den of Righteousness Union, where people are either lucky to come out alive, or be dead inside.

Uncle Yuen was 54 years of age, stern and serious, yet kind. Yuen has a cigarette in his mouth, smoking casually with a QSZ-92 on his left holster. Yuen wore a charcoal grey overcoat with matching trouser, simple black button shirt, and brown dress shoes.

"Uncle Yuen," said Three Dragons, sitting next to Yuen. "I came here to visit you."

The Dragon Head gave him a cup of water. "What would you like to talk about, Three Dragons?"

"I did my contributions to the Righteousness Union. Liu is not putting his effort to keep the family alive. He is the cause that sparked this civil war between our brothers and sisters."

Yuen absorbed Three Dragons' words into his mind, noticing Three Dragons unhappy. "Keep in mind you are involved in this conflict because you and Liu fought for a long time that attracted everyone."

"Are you saying that it's my fault for exploding the keg over an…IS that I clearly got fair and square?"

"You fail to see the picture, Three Dragons. The ego and denial have gotten the better judgment of you. Liu was the first to activate it, yet you still persist to pry it off his hands."

A pause as if time has stopped momentarily. "I hope that was a joke. Otherwise, I would not be happy to accuse me as the instigator."

Three Dragons showed respect for Yuen, but the moment the latter pointed his fault, the dragon felt offended. Three Dragons gritted his teeth in anger, slowly losing his cool. The Dragon Head was correct because Three Dragons failed to notice his ego getting the best of him. Combined with his heated rivalry with Liu, he did not stop to get Nightmare by any means necessary.

"Look at how much work I put it to uphold the family," said Three Dragons.

Yuen did not say a word as he listened carefully. Three Dragons, in a fit of rage, kicked the stool that echoed the room, attracting two Righteousness Union associates.

"What will happen to my brothers and sisters I raised? How about the businesses I worked so hard to generate income? Huh? They will not survive without my guidance should I die over this conflict."

Three Dragons played the victim to sway Yuen's opinion, which the Dragon Head did not fall for. Seeing his lack of words being spoken, Three Dragons stood up, threw the glass against the wall that shattered into pieces.

"Show Uncle Yuen some respect, Three Dragons," the male Righteousness Union warned Three Dragons.

"Have you forgotten who you are addressing to?" said the female associate.

"You are not helping me, Guo and Tian…I've had it with this family that are not contributing to me! Me! Who do you think got the operations I made off the ground? Hard working money like this doesn't fund itself, you know! Yet everyone looks down on me…I don't need help from this falling family. I can sort this out with those that are loyal to me! From here on, I will form…my own society, the Harmonious Association."

The culture of Righteousness Union emphasis brotherhood, sisterhood and unity. An act to form a new society is not tolerated by the Triad, and it would lead to heavy casualties. Yuen appeared moderately surprised when Three Dragons threatened to break with Righteousness Union.

"You're out of your rocker to do something this outrageous!" Guo berated Three Dragons.

"This will make things worse to add heavy violence with your deluded ideas," said Tian. "Do you not have common sense?"

Three Dragons glared at Guo and Tian without saying a word. The dragon felt betrayed that the Righteousness Union failed to "help" his ideas come to fruition when it was clearly his fault that ignited the conflict in the first place. Yuen remained cool as a cucumber, even when Three Dragons threw a fit.

"Let me rephrase it one more time," said Yuen, smoking a cigarette. "Three Dragons, do you plan to create your own society, is it not?"

"What am I supposed to do? I want to make everyone feel happy, but they are not with my contributions I put."

Yuen exhaled the smoke while Three Dragons growled. "Then that's all I need to hear, Three Dragons. I'm not stopping you from making your decisions, but I hope you rethink your actions to form your society. Your brothers and sisters will not be happy to turn your backs on them."

"Fine!" Three Dragons shouted. "Let them hit me! We'll see who dies first!"

Before the Dragon Head dismissed Three Dragons, Yuen dropped his advice. "Everyone has the right to compete each other. We have to maintain the equilibrium, especially those that let their egos get the best of them. You and Liu compete for a long time until it turned into heated rivalries. There's a time to cool it off. Tradition is tradition, breaking it would cause another war. The grudge is still in you that have spread out of control. It will be chaos.

Three Dragons diminished his rage. "I understand...Uncle Yuen. I'm sorry for acting improper to you."

"Learn to let it go, Three Dragons. Everyone is greedy to begin with. When I sought to get my hands on IS for selling purposes, Tabane said don't ever sell an IS. They are not made to be used for making profit. Find an alternative that does not piss her off. I was ignorant to begin with due to the lack of IS knowledge. I persisted to seek more, but the uncles reminded me to bow out gracefully. When you grow up, people will respect you. Anything else means death. Liu has claimed the IS in the first place."

The moment Three Dragons and Shen were about to leave, Yuen has another advice that will be his last.

"Wise up in your next life."

Three Dragons and Shen left the den, which marked the betrayal of Righteousness Union that raised him in the first place. He is now a traitor that turned his back on his brothers and sisters, except for his followers that are still loyal to him. The civil war turned from bad to worse with brothers and sisters blindly fight each other because of what they believe in Liu and Three Dragons' beliefs. Three Dragons had a bad day meeting with Uncle Yuen, and he needed something to relief the stress.

* * *

 **Time: 6:07AM – Stadium**

"AAARRRGGGHHH!" –Liu grunted, flipping a tractor tire.

"Come on Liu," said Rin. "Are you going to keep me waiting all day or do I have to go down there and bust you up to keep moving?"

"No!" Liu proclaimed. "I…can do this without your help!"

Liu trained nonstop with the girls, even with Ichika for IS sparring. They made the training much harder for Liu as they felt like they were being too easy on him. The dragon did not mind the amount of effort they put in because he appreciated them to make him stronger physically and mentally. According to Liu, Houki's training was the hardest of all to endure her nonsense personality and her mentally draining workout. Ichika's training was the second hardest primarily the blue boy's major improvement piloting an IS that the dragon could not keep up his pace.

Last but not least came to Rin's training. The tiger has Liu follow a strict training regimen. Under Rin's training, Liu flipped a tractor tire on a makeshift hill with great amount of force. The heavy rubber made quick work to train Liu on exerting force quickly against larger IS pilots. Veins bulged on his biceps every time Liu flipped the tractor tire. By the time Liu finished to take a break, the training was just the beginning to make him more tired.

"Who said training was done?" Rin said, strapping ropes on Liu's back. "Start all the way from the beginning to reach to the top."

Rin threw metal beams onto the crate with the ropes attached to Liu's back. The dragon bear crawled that he put a lot of energy against the heavy weight dragging along. For her amusement and part of his training, Rin added more weights on the crate every time Liu made it to the finish line. Liu was about to complain, and if he did, Rin would increase the weight on the crate to shut him up. Liu grunted, bear crawling slower than before due to the amount of work he put in from the heavier crate. Rin hid her amusement through her serious scowl, but she let out a grin as if she enjoyed it.

Chifuyu saw the intense training, though she did not say a word as the Brunhilde let out a smirk at Rin. At least Chifuyu does not have to keep an eye out on the dragon primarily from Rin. The training was backbreaking, and unforgiving because Liu has never been through this type of workout that focused on working his entire body. The dragon was accustomed to weight training, and he learned that there's more than just lifting weights to get around.

"You will wake up at 6 in the morning every day," said Rin, writing notes for Liu's training routine. "Run around the campus as warm up, and if I catch you slacking off, I'll add additional laps. Do I make myself clear?"

"Understood, Lingyin. Getting you on the bad side is asking for a death wish."

The dragon's training started every day with an early morning roadwork to get his blood flowing. Rin wanted Liu to achieve his goals to kill Three Dragons, and she was willing to help him so long as he came back alive. The tiger did not turn her head away from Liu, not even once because she was not going to let Liu go off course. A series of rigorous workout, mostly cardio and core with some weight training and IS involved was enough to keep Liu busy. Each day was tiring for Liu that put a toll on him, but Rin did it to make his will stronger. As time flies, Liu slowly got the hang of it, and the dragon could barely feel the pain from the training.

When Rin saw Liu progressing, the tiger increased the difficulty of his training to add resistance. For instance, Rin made Liu do pull ups with a twist. Liu had to move his head left to right, vice versa every time he pulled up. By the time Rin trained Liu on IS combat, she showed him some techniques. Even before Ichika and the girls trained Liu, he already had a very refined physique. Rin's training regimen, combined with Ichika and the girls, Liu's body was even more refined with bulging biceps, pecks, and a hardened 6-pack stomach.

"You became much more refined," Rin complimented. "However, we're not done yet because we have not fought each other. I hope those muscles of yours don't drag you around."

"Which I'm looking forward to fight you from the training I learned from you guys," said Liu, stretching his arms. "After all, there's more than just weight training to be stronger."

"We'll see about that, and don't you disappoint me if I don't see improvements from you."

Rin and Liu walked together towards the hallways while Ichika and the gang train nonstop to improve their skills. Rin was amazed of Liu's body that resembled a lightweight boxer, and she could not help but stare at the dragon. Rin could tell that Liu has changed not just appearance wise, but his personality. The rigorous training Liu went through made him somewhat calmer and more mature. As evident shown that Liu was less prone to talk back, and he does not exhibit being stubborn, reckless, and most of all, selfish.

Liu learned that going alone to stop Three Dragons was not the best solution. Not only it puts himself in danger, but Rin was also affected since she looked out for him.

"The training Ichika and the girls put up was unforgettable," said Liu. "I get to know them better as part of their training for me to bond."

Rin petted his head. "That's the point to come out of the dark to step into the light. You were reckless with a short temper that blows up everything you see as a threat. Being selfish was your main characteristic, which was unpleasant to begin with."

Liu gave a small defeated laugh. "I guess those traits led me to being tortured by Three Dragons, and losing my friends because I refused listening to you."

"If you correct your mind, the rest of your life will fall into place. You got rid of your bad habits to prove it without being paranoid of Three Dragons going after you."

"I'll admit that I did not like the repetitive, easy training before it got really hard to make me change one way or the other."

Rin gave Liu a bottle of water. "That's the way to see if you put in effort to change. I would have been worried constantly every time you go out on your own, but not anymore."

"Were you really that worried about me?" Liu questioned. "Even after I left you behind not once, but twice because I was fixated on settling my scores?"

"I brought you here not just to keep you safe," said Rin , smiling. "But I want to know you better since the beginning. There were lessons behind the journey you went through, along with the training we provided."

At first, Liu thought Rin was talking nonsense, but when he looked back at his misguided attempts to stop Three Dragons on his own, it cost him his friends and nearly his life. Rin went on a suicide mission to save his life from being tortured by Three Dragons. Liu does not have a solution to pay back Rin for looking out for him.

"Liu, do you know the lessons they were supposed to give you since day one I took you in?"

The dragon blinked in confusion. "A philosophy book pulled from the forgotten library?"

"No, Liu, you may have not noticed it, but if you don't know, ask me for answers."

Liu stopped momentarily to answer her questions, but he shook his head. "You tell me, I don't know what the hidden lessons are."

Rin flipped her twin tails back. "Lesson one, retain calmness and self-control. A fighter who attacks in anger is a fighter that never wins. Your anger and emotions clouded your senses that you attack every sight you see as a threat."

Liu attempted to fight Tabane, but he was in pure rage, and Liu lost. He did not learn from his mistake when Liu blasted Rin once for pulling him away from his vendettas. He let his emotions get his point across, which was not the way to get in confrontations. Rin was not done yet as she has some lessons to lecture the dragon.

"Lesson two, accept defeat if it is the wisest option," said Rin.

"What? Was that a lesson or one of your wisecracking jokes? That's ridiculous and stupid! To surrender is not the warrior's way."

"You won't be an IS pilot without your head. Besides, an IS pilot that never fails never learns."

Rin looked off across the window at the campus. "Lesson three, have patience and tolerance."

The lessons were not just for combat purposes, but life lessons for Liu to remember. Rin saved the last to wrap it up.

"Last lesson, forgive yourself; you are only a mortal being, and doing your best is enough."

Liu sipped his bottle of water for a brief break before he concluded his thought.

"What a roller coaster ride we have been through. Thanks to the birth of Infinite Stratos, the world has turned upside down. Women can only pilot IS restricted to candidates of their countries, but that does not stop criminals to get their hands on to see what's fit in their eyes."

The tiger and dragon walked pass the Brunhilde's office, completely unaware that Chifuyu was already inside.

Chifuyu's iPhone 6 rang in her pocket, and the caller was unknown. Suspicious, Chifuyu picked up the phone, wondering if it's a prank call or something sensible.

"Hello?"

"Chifuyu Orimura," said Yuen in a calm tone. "Long time no see. Did you make progress cleaning up crime infested streets?"

The moment Chifuyu heard Yuen's voice, she felt like she witnessed a napalm bomb exploded in front of her. Chifuyu kept her cool, going toe to toe with the Dragon Head of Righteousness Union.

"What do you want from me, Uncle Yuen?"

"I believe you have a student that goes by the name Liu King-sang. How is he doing at his new school?"

Chifuyu realized that Uncle Yuen knows Liu due to his affiliation with Righteousness Union. Chifuyu attempted to steer him away to not go back to his old ways.

"Liu is doing fine, he does not need to see you thank you very much."

Uncle Yuen lit his Cuban cigar. "I did not say it's a request, Brunhilde. It's an immediate order to give me Liu."

Chifuyu clenched her smartphone, nearly cracking the screen protector. Uncle Yuen got the drop on her, knowing she was not in a position to defy him.

"I have three guests that are in my house trying to sell me Tear of the Sun. One won't sell the price I want, and he goes down with his life."

 **BANG BANG**

Chifuyu shook slightly from the gunfire Uncle Yuen shot an individual in the head, twice. The two were terrified at their fallen comrade while Uncle Yuen smoked his cigar casually before he aimed his QSZ-92 at the duo agents.

"I knew from the beginning that those three were undercover agents belong to you. Would you like to hear their last words before I carry them in a casket should you defy me?"

The Dragon Head put his phone on the petrified agent. "C-Chifuyu, pull the plugs on this operation. If we don't comply before Yuen's cigar burns out, we will die one by one."

Chifuyu gritted her teeth from the miscalculation. "Call off the operation, get out of here right now."

Uncle Yuen continued smoking his favorite cigar. "Chifuyu, I admit that this war does bring out the worst in me. But all I ever wanted is to check on Liu and see him. And our quarrel has never been with you personally. With this petty conflict with Three Dragons spiraling out of control, my only wish is to resolve the conflict peacefully. Together, Chifuyu, I believe you and I can make it a temporary reality if you stop hounding at me for your sake and Liu's."

"Fine, I'll let you see Liu, but if you plan to do something I don't like, I will come to you personally, and that's the last thing you will ever see."

"Relax, my friend. I'll return Liu back to the Academy without harming him. Now go see your agents to debrief them."

Uncle Yuen got what he wanted, and released the two agents before he hung up and poured chrysanthemum tea. Chifuyu overstepped her boundaries that prompted the Dragon Head to put the brakes on her.

"Liu, looks like you're going to meet Uncle Yuen," said Chifuyu, hiding her distaste of the Dragon Head. "It's best you get there right away, he is waiting for you."

The dragon felt sick to his stomach. "This is out of context, but why are you letting me go to see Uncle Yuen? I thought you don't like him."

"Just…go! Don't question about it anymore."

Liu turned pale as if he saw a terrifying ghost, especially when he heard Uncle Yuen. This was the worst situation Liu was in to meet the Dragon Head that he has not seen for a long time.

"Liu, I'll go with you," said Rin. "I can't standby with you alone in the underworld"

"Are you sure about this? We're talking about Uncle Yuen, the Dragon Head of Righteousness Union."

"If you're venturing on your own again, take me with you. I can't stand aside, not knowing what will happen to you if Uncle Yuen might do something to you."

Liu sighed as arguing with Rin was pointless, and he reluctantly let her tag along. Rin and Liu activated their personal IS and flew towards the underworld.

Rin saw his face still pale. "You're worried."

"I uh…I did not check up on Uncle Yuen when you cut me off from communications with Righteousness Union at the Academy," said Liu nervously.

"Look, at least I kept you alive away from Three Dragons."

"That may be just what saved us, but not the conflict I have with Three Dragons. Uncle Yuen knows all of it."

Liu shook his head. "It's not fair! I activated this IS in the first place, and Three Dragons gets delusional and greedy. What was I supposed to do? You tell me!"

"Just what you did. You can't back down from that asshole that nearly tortured you to death."

"You and him got history, huh? Guess I'm not the only one that has a feud with him."

"It started even before I transferred to the Academy," said Rin. "Three Dragons attempted to exhort my parents' restaurant. They said no, and he responded by threatening to torch it, where I fought him and his goons off. From there on, we developed grudge against each other."

"Listen…anything…should anything happen to me…don't let it affect you from helping Chifuyu to finish Operation Exorcist, along with your well-being. My allegiance is Righteousness Union, and it's an eyesore to the public society. But one thing Righteousness Union and I've got for us is each other."

Rin blinked in curiosity. "Are you referring to brothers and sisters in a family?"

"Yes, people use that word a lot, but it means something for me. And it should to you too. We look after each other, and we look after the people we love."

By the time Rin and Liu arrived at Righteousness Union headquarters, they gulp from the lion's den, which was the last place they might make it out alive.

"We can't just walk in there. Not if it's…as bad as you say."

"We don't have a lot of choice," said Liu. "That's the way it's done, Lingyin. Besides, you can't hide from Uncle Yuen. If he wants someone dead…they're dead. And I rather see it coming, you know? You should be okay, but if I get shot by the Dragon Head, do not…do anything stupid, okay?"

* * *

Rin and Liu were about to enter the Dragon Head's high rise apartment building until an RU associate stopped him.

"Hey Liu, what's wrong? You look like you saw a Jiang shi! Who's your lady friend?"

Liu rolled his eyes. "You don't need to worry about my friend. Didn't Uncle Yuen tell you not to stick your nose too much?"

"You and Three Dragons have been throwing a lot of weight around on this civil war. What's up with that?"

"Is Three Dragons here?"

"Nope, he left a while ago—without a scratch. Doesn't bode too well for the other parties involved."

The associate chuckled lightly at Liu and Rin before he let them inside the den. After all, this would be the last place for those that want to sign their death wish.

"Go right in, Liu. Have fun!"

Rin and Liu entered the elevator until they reached the 20th floor. Righteousness Union guards check Rin and Liu that they did not carry weapons before they let them in. The room was spotless with high end furniture decorated the living room. A European picture hung on the left side with a sword on the opposite. Uncle Yuen was facing the window, enjoying the views of busy downtown streets.

"Uncle Yuen," said Liu, preparing for the worst.

The Dragon Head turned around to see Liu. "Ah, Liu! Come in, sit down. Have some tea."

Rin and Liu felt the immense aura from Uncle Yuen. They sit down, and drink tea while the tiger and dragon keep their cool.

"And you, young lady must be-"

"Lingyin Huang, Uncle Yuen," said Rin, bowing her head to show respect. "Liu has been a good friend to me. I've tried to do right by him."

Rin had courage to finish Uncle Yuen's sentence, but she was not going to let him do harm to Liu.

"I like the way you think. That's the attitude that makes us strong. Loyalty, discretion…used to be more common."

Liu sip tea to calm his nerves, but deep down, he still feared Uncle Yuen not because of his middle aged appearance. Uncle Yuen was the founder of Righteousness Union, and he was still feared and respected.

"We have not seen each other for a very long time," said Uncle Yuen. "How's IS Academy treating you so far, Liu?"

"The Academy has enough commodity to keep me cozy…what a minute…how did you know I was at the Academy?"

"Not hard to figure out when you have not shown up for a while. The last place anyone would seek refuge is IS Academy, especially those that recently learn how to pilot an IS. Am I right?"

"R-right, Uncle Yuen. Three Dragons was in denial because I activated the IS first ever since we fought over for ownership."

Uncle Yuen smoked his Cuban cigar. "I had my hands on an IS before. That was when I had no knowledge of what they actually do, and we tried to sell it to Tabane."

"The creator did not take the offering kindly, and incapacitated a few members to not ever sell an exoskeleton weapon."

"Only if we were not ignorant in the first place," said Uncle Yuen. "Now then, I assume your lady friend took care of you from the last fiasco you and Three Dragons had at the dock."

Rin nodded her head. "Yes, I recuperated his injuries that left him under the radar for a month. I realized Liu will not be safe if he continued to stay in China. So I took him to IS Academy to steer him away from Three Dragons that won't stop to get his hands on Liu's IS for his selfish needs."

"Did he now?" asked Uncle Yuen.

"Yes, Uncle Yuen."

Rin and Liu did not want to know what Uncle Yuen would do next as they remained silent. Liu thought Uncle Yuen would question Rin again, but the Dragon Head had a different approach.

"In any case, you did well on looking out after Liu. I want to show you my gratitude."

"Uncle Yuen, that is not necessary to-"

"Don't start an argument," said Uncle Yuen in a strict tone.

Rin kept her mouth shut to not get Uncle Yuen on the bad side. The tiger did not want to appear too careless taking the Dragon Head's gratitude.

"Here's a little token of my respect," said Uncle Yuen, giving Rin money wrapped in rubber bands. "I thank you for keeping him alive if it weren't for your swift actions."

"Thank you, Uncle Yuen."

"However, there's a situation that has yet to be resolved."

Sweat trickled down Liu's temple, which was the civil war caused by Liu and Three Dragons. Both of them were responsible for indirectly inciting the feud that spread like wildfire.

"You and Three Dragons have a lot of history when you initiated Righteousness Union. What started out as petty disputes slowly turned into grudges that influenced our brothers and sisters. Now it attracted the cops to quell us down, and no progress has been made to stop this war. Would you care to explain?"

Liu cleared his throat. "I was at fault for indirectly inciting the war. However, Three Dragons benefit the war to assert himself to kill me and take my IS in order to start his own society. He influenced his followers to kill whoever opposed him, including our family. I did not because brothers and sisters are bond by loyalty, not to trade their souls for riches. Three Dragons allied with Phantom Task since day one to build his new family, and that right there is uncalled. This will make the war even worse with him calling the shots."

What Liu said was correct because he was honest of his mistakes, and he proved his facts that Three Dragons was the main cause of it. Uncle Yuen nodded his head, smoking his Cuban cigar as he listened carefully.

"Chifuyu and the Academy are doing their best to assist me in stopping Three Dragons, Shen, and Kaori. Whatever methods I see appropriate, I won't hesitate to use it."

"You make some good points, my boy," said Uncle Yuen. "The question is, how would you actually stop this conflict?"

"I-"

"We don't know," said Rin. "When we see Three Dragons, Liu will take care of him, personally."

"You must realize that you cannot stand against Three Dragons alone."

"That's what everyone tells me," commented Liu. "Chifuyu said I need those that support me to take on a foe that's too strong."

"Righteousness Union has taught you well, Liu," said Uncle Yuen. "Now, I believe in Harmony. Balance. Peace. And I don't mind spilling a little blood to achieve it."

Uncle Yuen is simply a mediator as he does not support Liu or Three Dragons' ideas to bring each other down.

"There is much uncertainty in the Righteousness Union. If the conflict is resolved, we will be stable and strong. If not, the cops will not stop to take us down, and we cannot afford to appear weak."

Uncle Yuen set his Cuban cigar on the ashtray, exhaling the smoke from his mouth.

"Somehow, we gained immunity from the law, which is nearly impossible to get in any circumstances. Liu, do you know how we got it?"

"All thanks to making a deal with a silver lion," confirmed Liu. "He wanted a sample of Titan –M5 in return for giving Righteousness Union immunity."

"Very unusual, but that will do just fine. To wrap things up, put an end to the conflict, and I trust you to finish it as soon as possible, Liu King-sang. Your brothers and sisters are on the same page as you. Don't be afraid to use them for assistance. Until then, you and Lingyin are free to go."

Rin and Liu bow to the Dragon Head before they left the premises, sighing in relief. They thought Uncle Yuen might kill them during the conversation. They found out he was lenient and understandable, despite his stern persona.

"Goddamn it! I bet a thousand bucks I was going to be carrying you in a body bag. Uncle Yuen must like you, Liu."

"Yeah, I don't think he has opinions on me or Three Dragons either way."

The Righteousness Union associate smirked. "Three Dragons is a fine piece of art. I don't like him too, and I can't wait to see what you can do to him."

Rin and Liu returned to the Academy in one piece as Uncle Yuen kept true to his words, especially Chifuyu. The Brunhilde was busy working on Operation Exorcist while Rin and Liu went to their room to retire for the day.

* * *

Liu stripped his clothes off to take a shower. Liu looked briefly in the mirror to see his slim, muscular body from the training he went through. His tattoos remained the same as he thought of getting his back piece refined, but Liu threw it out because it would take too long. With the hot water running, Liu washed himself with shampoo and body wash to remove the persistent grime. Questions invaded his mind of how will Liu resolve the feud with Three Dragons while at the same time, come back alive. Liu rubbed shampoo on his hair, trying to ease off the stress.

"…"

Liu did not speak, nor did he have thoughts clouding his mind as steam from hot water slowly builds up. In the middle of his shower, a door was opened that revealed to be Rin, naked except with a towel around herself. Rin's long brown hair flowed freely without her twintails as she removed her towel, and opened the sliding door. Liu should have heard the sound, but the dragon so was fixated on taking his shower that he did not turn around.

Rin entered the shower, ignoring the fact she was naked with Liu, but that did not matter for her. Rin's eyes trailed on Liu's back piece of a Guan Yu with wave background dipped in dark color she found it mesmerizing. Rin's nipples were clear pink that jiggled when she walked closer to Liu.

"…"

Rin did not say a word, and she immediately hugged Liu from behind tightly. Her breasts pressed against his muscular back, and her nipples jutted out to rub his spine. Rin did not let go while her hair became wet as her hands stroked his six pack rock solid. This could be their final night to show their love for each other, and Rin want to savor it. The warmth from her body, combined with the hot water slowly aroused Rin.

Liu knew it was Rin all along as he turned around to look at her emerald green eyes for a moment. Liu leaned forward to give Rin a chaste kiss of comfort on her lips. Rin cupped his cheeks, and she returned the favor with a passionate kiss. Her tongue deepened and plunged into his mouth which made Liu surrendering to his desires by kneading her right breast with his left hand. Liu slithered his tongue every corner of Rin's lips, tasting her milk-like flavor. The two continued to kiss as Liu reached his right hand to rub her jewels.

As their pheromones sky-rocketed, Rin moaned from his two fingers stroking her sensitive areas before he inserted them. Liu felt the warmth and stickiness, yet smooth like butter between the walls with his fingers pumping through. Rin moaned louder as she wrapped her left leg around his waist. Great wave of pleasure coursed through her body, wanting more. The teasing was unbearable for Rin with the dragon teasing her, so she gripped his shoulders.

Rin snaked her arms on his neck, tightening her grip to indicate she had it with the teasing, and cut to the chase. Liu understood what Rin wanted, even without words spoken. Looking at their facial expressions and body movements were their form of communication. Wasting no time, Liu positioned himself, and entered into Rin.

"HHHAAA…!"

Rin let off a loud moan, feeling the rod of flesh in her womb that swallowed the whole length, much bigger than last time. This time, Liu did not go slow as he pumped her at a medium pace to show his love for her. Considering this was the day before the final stage of Operation Exorcist kick off, Rin and Liu were willing to give everything they have for each other. The ecstasy in her body took control to have dominance over him.

"AAHH~!"

Rin let loose a loud moan, mixed in with the sound of wet skin contact. Her voice was buffered by the downpour of hot water. Rin bounced like a ball to show dominance over Liu. The dragon sealed her lips to quell down her loud voice. Rin and Liu were lost in pure passion, kissing each other to no end until Rin reeled her head back from the immense pressure.

"Haaa! Hnh! Ugh…HAAAAH! Liu! I…I LOVE YOU!"

Every thrust Rin took made her orgasm nonstop. Rin was finally able to say the three magic words that struck a chord on Liu. The puzzle has been complete for these two to keep going. Stream of hot water pouring down their bodies, combined with their wet, messy faces made them more aroused.

"Lingyin, I love you too!"

To prove it, Liu sped up his thrust, grasping Rin's smooth back and soft, silky hair that send a shiver on her spine. Rin pulled his body closer to her, mashing his rough, muscular front with her slim, soft front that blended into one. Liu felt Rin's movement slowing down, indicating the time to switch positions. Rin breathe shortly before she flipped Liu over and moved her hips up and down vigorously. Rin traced her fingers on his tattoos across his broad chest as she grabbed his hands over her breasts. Liu's hands mashed them like dough that felt soft and addicting.

"I want…more from you!" Rin pleaded, tightening the grip on his hands.

Liu's fingers rubbed against her nipples that brushed alongside. Rin moaned louder with the fluids surging through the excitement. Her thoughts fixated on Liu, ignoring all the thoughts not related to him. The dragon got a clear view of Rin nude on top of him. Water streamed her beautiful slim figure like that of a goddess, an image engraved into his head.

Rin increased her thrust, grasping his shoulders as she felt the pressure on the base of his shaft, and her throbbing jewels milking roughly. Her inner walls clenched tightly on the edge of releasing.

"AAAAHHHH! Liu, I'm-"

Rin squeezed Liu's shoulders as her jewels clenched his rod, secreting her essence. The suction force was enough to make Liu release his essence, and Liu growled his loudest. Rin gave a loud moan, and Liu pushed as deep as he can. They climax with their essences mixed together. Rin felt the warmth intruding her womb, feeling the burning sensation, yet pleasurable.

After emptying themselves, Rin fell forward, panting hard yet sweating with steam radiating in the room. They met with a passionate kiss, wrestling their tongues gently. All seems to come to an end until Liu grasped her cheeks.

"I'm not done with you yet…" said Liu, standing up.

When Rin heard his words drilled into her head, she was in bliss of ecstasy. However, Rin did not expect Liu to do by pinning her against the wall, and stretched her butt. Rin bend her elbows for support before he raised her right leg above his shoulder, and placed his hand on her butt. His free hand rested on her bare back.

Without warning, Liu slammed her from behind endlessly. The restraints in their minds were removed and their desires were to go all out Rin's jewels throbbed from her breathing as if it invited him to go for round two. Liu pumped her again, not taking a stroll and Rin moaned even louder than before. The feeling of going again made her mind haywire, wanting more from him. While Liu grasped her breasts that swung naturally from the rocking movement, Rin drooled as her eyes tear up in joy.

"Liu, I want more! More!" Rin moaned in bliss

Sweat decorated their bodies as Rin felt Liu's hands break free from her grip and slither round to fondle her butt. Rin moaned out of control while Liu played with her, but the dragon had something rougher in mind. Without warning, Liu raised a hand and roughly brought it down on her butt, causing a sharp yelp to escape from Rin.

"HYYYAAAHHH~!"

Rin felt the sting from being spanked by Liu rushing through her body. Yet at the same time...Rin felt an unknown pleasure that was mixed in with the pain. A pleasure she couldn't help but desire more of as she threw her head back from the amusement. Tears began falling from her eyes due to the immense pleasure, and her tongue hanged out from her mouth. Liu smacked her butt a few times to override her mind while he increased the strength of his pounding. Liu's thrust grew faster and much powerful as the wet, slapping noises went louder.

"You found it…!"

Rin did not expect that Liu would go extreme lengths to keep the ball rolling. The thrust grew more forceful and unrelenting with Rin's jewels being tainted and refitted repeatedly. Rubbing all the spots where Rin was weak and kept on going, regardless that her mind went numb. Her jewels tightened the rod of flesh penetrating her endlessly while Liu squeezed her breasts. The dragon began thrusting even faster than before, causing Rin to cry out even louder in joy.

"Liu! LIU!" Rin cried in pleasure.

Liu pulled her hair aggressively, but he could not hold on anymore, and he unleashed a large amount of his essence directly into her womb, filling her full until it leaked out. Rin released her own juice that mixed in with his, dropping her leg to the ground. Rin did not go limp just yet before she turned around, and pinned Liu to the ground. His legs were bent to his knees, and she spread her legs apart. Rin leaned forward with her breasts swinging in his face. Liu had his fun of taking control until Rin turned the tables to her favor.

"One more…" Rin drifted in bliss.

Rin and Liu were on the last stretch to wrap things up before the former thrust herself to show domination. Liu's rod of flesh fully stretched her womanhood, refitting for him to use while Rin immersed herself reaching to the intensive phase. Rin thrust forward while she gradually increased her pace. Liu grabbed the bouncing breasts that teased him to grope them like dough. The wet and slapping noises from the furious intercourse grew louder, combined with the hot water splashing their bodies.

Rin came again and again while she went as deep as she can with Liu unleashing his lust on her. The dragon squeezed her breasts tightly, indicating he was on the edge of releasing. Rin's inner walls tightened the grip on the shaft, ready to climax one last time.

"AAAAAAHHHHHH! Liu! I'm about to-!" Rin screamed at her highest pitch, discharging her essences like a hose, spraying on Liu.

Liu discharged, leaking out of Rin's jewels before they gave a loud moan as the latter felt the warmth enter through her womb, filling her up completely. A trickle of slowly oozed out, and Rin smiled in a sweet manner. Liu turned off the faucet as it was getting too hot. They stayed at that position for several seconds, basking in the afterglow of their fiery night of passion. Rin kissed Liu gently, cuddling their bodies together in silence. Each of them smiled, embracing each other to give small pecks here and there until Rin frowned, slightly shaking.

"Liu…" said Rin in a somber tone. "I'm…I'm afraid of losing you from the operation we're going tomorrow, and I want to say is…please make it back alive…"

Rin was about to cry, but Liu hugged her tightly to give her warmth and comfort. "Huang Lingyin, I will not return in a body bag. If Three Dragons wants Nightmare, he will have to try harder than that."

Rin wiped her tears away, grasping his face as Liu continued. "Once this is over, you and I will make our lives better. No more fighting with our IS constantly, no more going through endless crimes. A peaceful life is what we ask for, and I'm not stopping until we finish this damn operation to get this over with."

"Liu King-sang," said Rin, wrapping her arms across his neck. "I will be with you forever to achieve your desires. Promise me to return so our goals come to fruition."

"Thank you, Huang Lingyin..." Liu whispered.

Rin and Liu kissed once again, rubbing their bodies to extract the sensation before the two of them fell asleep, naked and wet in the shower. Their hands grasped each other, fingers interlocked, and the tiger laid her head at the crook of the dragon's neck. If this was their last moment together before Operation Exorcist begins tomorrow, it would be called 'Final Night.'


	29. March of the Emperors

I apologize for the late post, college is getting more overwhelming with schoolwork.

* * *

 _Give it up, Liu. Why are you wasting your time defending Nightmare from Three Dragons? You don't stand a chance to call yourself an IS pilot. Life would have been easier if you give Nightmare to Three Dragons. Besides, he is better than you in many ways. You don't have to think about a casket, Three Dragons will put an end to your misery, where you will die alone and slowly in a painful manner. The reason you're living is that Rin is by your side no matter what. Without her, you are nothing. Either you give yourself up to Three Dragons, or continue your pointless journey that leads to your death. What's it going to be, Liu?_

…

 _What a bonafide soldier of the Righteousness Union you are today. You fight like your younger self, rushing in like a rampaging bull. It's impressive, but you made a big mistake. You think you can get away from the darkness to enter the light? The light is not your power you're born in it, molded by it. You can't betray your shadows because they belong to you! I will make you accept your darkness. When your body breaks, I work on your mind. Once that's broken, your soul is left to rebuild what was left, twisting you to your true self._

…

 _Patrol 2-3 to HQ, we have a major accident on the freeway. Multiple vehicles destroyed, and a person is lying in a pool of blood. Send in medics and fire immediately._

 _Medic and firefighters will arrive in three minutes._

 _Three Dragons is fleeing from the scene! Be advised, wanted fugitive is armed with an IS weaponry and dangerous. Send in everything you got._

 _Patrol 5-7, full containment. I want major roadway cities shut down now!_

 _Liu…you can't die on me. You promised to come back alive! Liu…LIU!_

"Urgh…" Liu slowly arisen from his slumber, still feeling drowsy from the bad dream he got.

"Hey, are you okay?" Rin woke up to check up on her dragon.

"Wha…what's going on? How long were we asleep?"

"It's morning right now, Liu. We did not oversleep since it's the weekend."

Liu looked left and right, feeling blurry from the eye boogers on his eyelids while Rin looked with concern.

"Did you have a bad dream last night?" Rin asked.

"Not exactly a bad dream, but I heard words shrouding me something about losing hope and give up to Three Dragons."

"Are you sure about that? From the look on your eye, there's something bothering you."

Liu was too tired to lie as he decided that it was better off to tell Rin everything, even if it hurts.

"Rin…" said Liu, gathering up the strength to talk. "I also dream that Three Dragons slaughtered me, took my IS, and ran off. Next thing I hear is you screaming my name in despair, cradling me."

Rin frowned with a hint of sadness that Liu got a bad dream from thinking too much about the underworld conflict. Being Liu's girlfriend, Rin will support him to not lose his sanity.

"Hey, it will be okay. Whatever you heard was your inner self playing mind tricks on you. Yes, that also includes the nightmare you had. Liu, you're not the type that succumbs easily to illusions because you're stronger than this."

"Your words helped me to get back up, even in tough times. I thank you for that."

"No one likes to see a person going berserk, especially me."

* * *

 **Time: 4:50PM - Office**

The blueprint of Operation Exorcist was finally complete with Chifuyu finalizing the details as she gathered data onto the holographic projector. The Brunhilde kept her usual serious face, knowing the risks she will tackle head on. Mattheus and Joel polished their weapons to be used for later while they read the diagrams of the underworld.

Chifuyu said, "I'm sure you're familiar with the underworld of Japan."

"Where the rats dwell in the dark side to eat, drink, fuck, and do crime like there's no end," said Mattheus. "What do you have that's compelling?"

"I got Intel that Phantom Task spread out to leave traces behind. They think they are one step ahead, but they are dead wrong with cops surveying every block."

"What are you trying to get?" Joel questioned.

"The plan is the more busts cops make, it will force them to draw out Squall and her agents. We hit their money makers, supporters, and source of revenue. That's where it hurts them the most."

Chifuyu snapped her fingers to show surveillance footage of Phantom Task operations slowly decline with cops busting several agents and key individuals. While it seems impressing, the Brunhilde was far from over to declare victory against Phantom Task with Three Dragons, Shen, and Kaori running amok.

"Download this data," Chifuyu instructed. "You will need it when we hit the underworld because there's no telling what will happen."

"In other words, it's do or die because there's no second chance to make it right."

"The underworld is a no man's land without the proper layout because those that are not familiar will not come back alive. Last time, a lone military IS pilot attempted to venture to the underworld, and one minute later, she got shot down to pieces. Phantom Task lock down military personnel and the government with threatening blackmails if they dare to intervene."

"In other words, the cops and the Academy, meaning us, are the last hope to flush out Phantom Task. Just as I thought the military could help us out, but no, Phantom Task grounded them permanently."

"Prepare yourselves and think through your methods that does not get you two killed in action."

The Brunhilde nodded her head at the boys before she dismissed them. Chifuyu drank her cup of black coffee as she turned on the monitor to oversee the police activities at the underworld. Surveillance cameras reveal the activities unfold with cops patrolling the underworld. The underworld was typically littered in a mess, but this time, it's cleaner than last time. However, that does not mean it's guaranteed to be a safe city to live because crooks make up the majority of the population.

* * *

 **Time: 1:19PM - Lab**

"Ara. There you are, Liu," said Tatenashi. "I was looking for you because I have something urgent to show you."

Liu raised his eyebrow. "Is it related to Nightmare, or did you lie to tease me and Rin?"

"It's not that," the bluenette explained. "Follow me to the lab where I can explain it all."

"Liu," said Tatenashi. "Activate Nightmare so Kanzashi can do a full inspection."

The dragon deployed Nightmare in two seconds as he was encased with obsidian black and midnight purple armor. Kanzashi typed her computer as the machine scanned Liu from top to bottom. The blue cat read the data until Kanzashi saw something that caught her interest.

"I'm getting a strong reading coming from your left forearm," Kanzashi inquired. "It looks like some sort of cannon has just finished the stage of metamorphosis."

"You believe that I have a new weapon? I hope you're not joking around, Kanzashi."

"She is being herself, there's no need to be hard on her," said Tatenashi. "I'm the one you should be annoyed of."

Kanzashi sighed, adjusting her glasses as Liu listened, and held out his left arm. At first nothing happened, but seconds later, an object of some sort shined brightly, illuminating the lab. Rin covered her eyes from the bright light as it faded away, and Liu was surprised that Kanzashi was not joking. Liu's new weapon was hand held that resembled a fusion shotgun (AN: Look up fusion cannon from Dark of the Moon). Liu flicked his new weapon, and the barrel extended with Death-lock pincer jutted from the cannon muzzle.

"I wonder what this thing can do," said Liu, aiming his fusion cannon at the wall. "I'm naming it Reaper to match Nightmare's name. Will it explode or send shockwaves?"

"Not in the lab!" Kanzashi exclaimed, stopping Liu from firing his new toy. "Have some decency to respect private property. I have important data that are sensitive."

Liu deactivated his fusion cannon, annoyed that he can't use it, much to the relief of Kanzashi. The dragon was itching to use it right away, but test firing at the lab was the wrong place to do so. The dragon anxiously waited at Kanzashi typing her computer, and he was about to leave, but Tatenashi grabbed his shoulders firmly.

"Head to the stadium," said Tatenashi. "We set up target practices for you to test your toy."

"Don't mind if I do, Tatenashi."

Liu was giddy with his weapon before he stored it away. Rin shook her head at the dragon that nearly destroyed the lab.

"Honestly…" said Rin. "Do you know how to use your brain? You nearly tore up the lab without thinking the outcome."

"I was playing with you, Rin," said Liu sheepishly. "Tatenashi was acting too kinky to begin with when she teased us."

Rin groaned in disgust. "That does not mean you can use your new weapon to shut them up. They are human beings like the rest of us."

"It makes me an outcast from the herd of sheep follow mindlessly in one direction."

"Uh huh, that comes from someone that does not conform to normal society. Do you really feel proud to reside in the underworld?"

"I would not say to be proud of it because that's portraying the underworld to be cuddly where it's not. To put it this way, I was born with it. I can never be shown to the light when the dark is my friend."

Rin hugged her dragon. "Liu, you have me as the light to keep your sanity in check. No matter what your background is, I'm always by your side forever."

"Likewise once this damn conflict is over, Lingyin," said Liu, petting his tiger. "No one can separate us."

At the stadium, row of targets pops for Liu to test out Reaper. At long last, the dragon can use his new weapon without further interruptions. Liu activated Reaper as it charged up to fire its first round, but that's going to change when sirens blared out.

"Oh what now?" said Liu, frustrated.

"All personal IS users, report to the office," Chifuyu announced on the speakers.

With that being said, personal IS users went to the office per Chifuyu's order. Today was the day to hit underworld with everything they got. Once everyone gathered around, Chifuyu folded her arms with Yamada holding the Brunhilde's clipboard.

"That's everyone, is it not?" Chifuyu questioned, counting heads.

"Yeah that's all of us," said Ichika. "Is it time to commence Operation Exorcist?"

Chifuyu nodded her head with a determined face. "Blood, sweat, and tears came from my bare hands to make this work. This is not a videogame where you have lives to start again. We only get one shot to get this executed. Obviously, we can't go in casually without proper Intel, so I came up with plans for you guys to go over."

The Brunhilde revealed the diagram with their names on the starting point. Chifuyu point and grab onto specific locations to show them what to do.

"Charlotte and Cecilia will take on recon," Chifuyu pointed. "Gather as much information as you can for us to use before we go in the city. I entrust you two to not get shot down for flying too low or making too much noise."

"Leave it to us, Orimura-sensei," said Cecilia proudly. "Phantom Task won't even see it coming."

Chifuyu turned to Laura and Kanzashi. "You and Kanzashi provide artillery support to flush out Phantom Task troops. Your firepower should be enough to carve the path for us to tackle."

"The rest of you are on infantry. I should not explain on that since it's self-explanatory."

"Yes, Orimura-sensei!" The gang said in unison.

Liu leaned on the wall, pretending to listen, but in reality, he is formulating a plan to take down Three Dragons. The dragon patiently waited for Chifuyu to get to the main point.

"Three Dragons and his lady friends, Kaori and Shen were last seen seeking refuge at a hotel in an attempt to get away from his pursuers. Squall and her agents were also present with Three Dragons, and I have a feeling they are thinking their next move to outwit us."

The gang check their partial deployed IS before Liu activated Reaper . Ichika appeared moderately surprised at his new weapon while Mattheus and Joel admitted it was impressive.

"Any questions before we head out?" Chifuyu asked.

"Yes I do," said Liu. "How are we going to exactly venture to the underworld?"

"We fly with our IS," Cecilia scoffed. "Why must you ask rhetorical questions?"

"Have you thought of what Phantom Task might have under their sleeves to shoot down airborne enemies? Like I don't know, IS?"

Chifuyu paused momentarily to look at a different perspective. "Liu makes a good point. Kanzashi, hack into the underworld surveillance cameras."

"On it," said Kanzashi, typing her keyboards at lightning pace for ten seconds. The results show four anti-aircraft guns mounted on high rise buildings.

"Orimura-sensei, flying with our IS is not a wise choice. They are operated by an AI that has heat seeking anti-IS missiles, accurate targeting systems, and trace heat sensors."

"This won't do at all," said Chifuyu.

"Can you use your connections with the law enforcement to drop us a few cars to approach the underworld without being detected?" Liu questioned, folding his arms. "Having a police escort is asking us to get shot up."

"Give me a minute to think."

While Chifuyu went away to make a phone call, Liu maintained his poker face, not being concerned of how to approach the underworld. It appeared that the dragon knew what he was doing based on his composure. The gang was stuck on coming up with alternative plans.

"You got something to say, say it now."

The gang could not come up with an answer before Ichika raised his hand. "I suggest we destroy the AA guns first with our IS to save the trouble from traveling by a car."

Liu sniffed, shifted his weight. "I would incline to agree, but that's not going to work."

"What do you mean it's not a viable option?" Charlotte adjusted her sleeve. "Eliminating a big weapon weakens the enemy's stronghold for us to storm in without further interruptions."

"Yes, but Phantom Task can easily trace attackers in a flash. They will come down on us hard should we stir them up. I'm confident that Chifuyu's Plan B is suitable to reduce risk."

"How can you be so sure about it?" Laura asked, raising her eyebrow suspiciously.

"If you think about it, there could be more AA guns hidden if we destroy the main ones. Hell, there's a high chance they are under the radar, and I do mean it has radar jamming device."

"I have to go with Plan B, Liu," Mattheus quipped. "Slow and steady wins the race as I recall that Phantom Task has lockdown government and military intervention."

"Chifuyu is not kidding about it," said Liu. "The city's police force and us are the last hope to flush out Phantom Task for good, especially Three Dragons, Shen, and Kaori."

By the time the gang finished their discussion, Chifuyu came back, setting her motion to use Plan B. They head outside of the Academy, where black armored Toyota SUVs await. The windows were tinted to conceal identities, which was vital so they don't get caught by Phantom Task. They drove to the underworld, where it might be their last mission.

* * *

 **Time: 5:52 PM – Underworld**

The underworld is where criminals are the majority of the population. The atmosphere is dark, dirty, yet not too poor. As usual, Phantom Task are up to no good again as they spread out to give law enforcement a harder time to stop them. Righteousness Union are still locked in their civil war thanks to Three Dragons taking advantage of the conflict to make a name for himself.

At a fancy restaurant, Squall and her agents, along with Three Dragons, Kaori, and Shen were eating a meal.

"So," said Three Dragons, "what's up, Daryl? Or should I say, Rain. Let's have it."

Rain shrugged. "You know how it is."

"I know that I get nervous whenever someone strings together a bunch of cops."

"Yeah," said Rain, admitting it, settling back into her chair. "Goddamn cops are everywhere. They're like cockroaches now that we're in the spotlight."

"I'll get to the bottom of it."

"Good," said Forte, nodding, agreeing.

"Take your time," said Autumn in a sarcastic tone. "Don't fuck it up, you hear me?"

Kaori cut her New York strip. "I'm positive that we spread out our troops to ambush the cops that underestimated our strength in art of surprise. They may have better armor and weapons, there's no way they can distinguish allies or foes with our forces blending in the crowd."

"I intend to keep it that way, Kaori," said Squall, drinking red wine. "There's a reason I hired you for stealing Phoenix."

"What are your thoughts of our recent operations busted by cops?"

"I'm not concerned about it at all."

Madoka remained indifferent as she merely wanted to kill Chifuyu by any means necessary.

"Can we get to the bottom of this?" Madoka groaned, wanting to leave. "This is making me want to sleep."

Squall pressed a holographic projector on the table, showing the layout of the underworld. "I'll put this in simple terms. We put as much dirt at the cops, and leave this city to start over. Our operations and troops are replaceable, which is the least of my concern."

Red lines appeared on the projector from Squall's description to show how their forces will ambush. Squall folded her arms, fully confident that they won't lose anything else, asides losing a couple of bucks. Madoka was close from falling asleep, but the leader gave her a slice of Beef wellington to keep her awake.

Forte yawned. "I don't really care about the outcome. What matters the most is that I'm with Rain at all times."

"Three Dragons, Shen, and Kaori, please assist with our troops to make sure this plan does not crumble," Squall ordered. "The rest of you, stay with me."

"Yes, Squall," said Three Dragons, making his way out. "I'm sure you found a resting place here to commemorate the achievements you accomplished."

"You better take that back, boy…" Autumn growled.

Three Dragons threw a middle finger at the spider, which pissed off Autumn, but she let it go. After all, she can't look bad at the leader. Squall smirked at Three Dragons before she turned to Autumn, and pet her head like an obedient dog. Autumn fawned for being Squall's favorite pet as they eat their meal in peace. On the streets, people were minding their own business while police cars patrol to make sure no one was acting up.

The gang arrived at the underworld for the first time, blending in with the crowd. Crooks ignore them while the gang split up to prepare themselves. Wearing casual clothing, they explore the underworld to get as much intel as they can without getting caught. No one spoke up as they were focused on completing Operation Exorcist, and this was the only shot they have to make it count.

Laura and Kanzashi went solo to find shelter to give artillery support. While the environment appeared to be civilized, the gang and cops were completely unaware that they stepped into a trap that will spring unexpectedly. The crowd was actually Phantom Task foot soldiers disguised as civilians to ambush. This was clearly guerilla warfare, where traditional, larger forces will have a harder time to fight back. Phantom Task troops kept in tab at cops patrolling the streets as they wait for the opportunity to attack.

"Something's not right," said Mattheus, pulling up his hoodie. "I was expecting guns going off right now, but this is way too casual for a crook city to live in peace."

Ichika's hands were in his pants pocket, observing some of the buildings seemingly abandoned.

"Based on the situation we're in," said Houki. "I count a few police about to make their move first. They are on a massive lockdown to take down wanted suspects."

Liu did not listen to the conversation while he prioritized to find Three Dragons first before they do. No one gets Three Dragons but Liu.

Chifuyu said, "Be aware of your surroundings. Don't get distracted, not even for a second."

"How are you doing, Charlotte?" Cecilia asked via earpiece.

"Not so good," Charlotte chimed, getting slightly nervous. "I have a feeling we're being watched in all angles."

Charlotte was correct as Phantom Task soldiers spied on the gangs' movements and notified their fellow goons to counter attack. A police car pulled over a white Bentley convertible for running a stop sign. The car pulled over to the side, right at the restaurant where Squall and her agents watch. To make things worse, Chifuyu, Ichika, Cecilia and Houki were about to get caught in a crossfire. Phantom Task soldiers watch the traffic stop as cops walk to the car, asking the driver and passenger to turn the engine off and see their identifications.

Ichika, Chifuyu, and the girls stopped moving, unable to move like they stepped into superglue from witnessing the traffic stop.

"What's going on?" said Ichika, unnerved. "My brain is refusing to make my body move."

Cecilia turned to him. "The driver and passenger are blatantly refusing the cops' orders. Are they stalling? I'm getting a bad feeling about this."

"We're not the only ones watching," Houki reminded the British girl. "The crowd has taken interest too."

Chifuyu cannot blow their cover to send in more backup as she was stuck to remain on standby. The Brunhilde gritted her teeth, trying to give the cops some breathing air while the suspects continued to stall. Squall shook her head, ordering her nearby troops to make a scene to make the officers distracted, knowing that it's the perfect opportunity to strike.

Two people pretended to fight, forcing the officers to break it up. All seems to come accordingly to plan as the officers decided to let the driver and passenger off with a warning. However, an officer noticed a suspicious black bag on the rear seats, asking the driver what's the contents inside. Knowing that it's time to drop the act, the driver pulled out his gun and…

 **BANG**

The sound of a gun filled the air that shot the cop in the head, followed by two rounds at another cop in the chest. The moment he fired his gun, it sent a shockwave at the underworld that triggered a domino effect. Phantom Task soldiers opened fire at law enforcement as Ichika and the girls duck to find cover, nearly getting shot.

"What the hell just happened!?" Ichika shouted. "The cops did not do anything wrong!"

"I'm guessing they had something to hide!" Houki yelled as bullets filled the air.

Cecilia covered her ears, clearly in shock. "We cannot have caskets in this miserable city!"

Chifuyu grabbed Cecilia by the shoulder firmly. "Get a hold of yourselves! We have an operation to complete. This is not the time to be cowering in fear. We got company heading towards us fast."

Behemoth, Seryu, and Gate in their respective Fang Quake charged at Ichika and the girls. The blue boy responded by activating Byakushiki, and flung a car at their foes. The girls deploy their IS, trading blows at Phantom Task stronghold while foot soldiers continued their intense shootout at the cops.

Squall was enjoying the action unfold, drinking her red wine. Madoka, finally fed up of remaining on standby stood up to kill Chifuyu the moment she saw her fighting.

"Madoka," said Squall. "Sit down and eat. I did not permit you to take in action."

"I've had it!" Madoka slammed the table. "Chifuyu is out there, and I'm not letting her slip away again like last time."

Madoka deployed Black Knight, but before she was about to take off, cops barged in with guns drawn.

"All of you get your hands up in the air right now!" Officers commanded.

"You and what army?" Autumn sneered, slowly activating Arachne. "You're no match for us."

"Relax, Autumn," Squall patted her shoulder. "Continue eating your meal."

The moment Madoka took off, she was pulled back by Shen in Dread Gauntlet. Shen denied her chance to fight Chifuyu as it was the scorpion's moment to shine.

"You-!" Madoka growled.

As Madoka tried to fire her Star Breaker, Shen threw her at the cops with a violent impact, knocking them out instantly. Squall and the others did not budge, casually cutting her Beef wellington before Shen leaped down to tear Chifuyu.

"You again…" Chifuyu revealing her Kurazakura.

Shen revealed a sadistic grin, firing her dual miniguns as Chifuyu evaded the gunfire. The Brunhilde nearly succeeded to strike Shen, but it came to an abrupt end when Shen grabbed her, and threw her at a dilapidated apartment one block away.

Ichika saw his elder sister flung like a football. "Chifuyu!"

Before he can save her, he was met by vicious swings by Seryu, making him occupied while the girls do their best to hold them off. The underworld turned into a chaotic shootout with bullets riddling the quiet atmosphere. Phantom Task soldiers hold off law enforcement, forcing cops to call in all backup, including Special Assault Team. In less than two minutes, reinforcement arrived to even the playing field. Liu and the others were also tangled up by a few Lion pilots that attacked with such ferocity. Laura and Kanzashi fired barrage of firepower at the Lion troops as Operation Exorcist has kicked off at high gear.

Chifuyu skidded across the rough pavement at 50 feet, coughing from the dust. The dilapidated apartment reeked of horrendous cement odor left untouched way overdue for demolition. Dust evaporated the hallway with rooms left in a messy condition.

"Where are you, Shen?" Chifuyu said, clenching her dual katanas. The Brunhilde walked cautiously with sweat trickling down her head as she tried to keep her cool. Chifuyu dealt with Shen before, formulating her strategies to bring down the scorpion.

"Stop hiding," Chifuyu growled. "I'll make it quick it for you."

Suddenly, a wall on the left side exploded into pieces, revealing no other than Shen. The scorpion used a throat cut gesture at the Brunhilde before she let loose her dual gatling guns. Chifuyu dove into a nearby room to avoid the bullets, but she could not advance towards her due to Shen's immense firepower. Knowing that her defense will crumble in seconds, Chifuyu dashed towards a steel pillar while Shen fired relentlessly.

Chifuyu leaped diagonally across the steel pillars to get closer to Shen, and slashed her helmet two times. But it only ended up scratching Shen, much to Chifuyu's dismay before Shen landed a chopping left against Chifuyu. Combined with a downward angle that added weight to the power, Chifuyu was knocked through a floor face down. Shen leaped down to watch the Brunhilde squirming. The moment she tried to get to her feet, Shen kicked her, skidding across the hallway.

"…" Shen being silent as usual, walking towards the Brunhilde.

Battered and bruised, Chifuyu wiped her bloody nose. Even though it did not look like much, Chifuyu was stunned from Shen's chopping left. To make things worse, her vision was impaired as she saw everything blurry.

Recovering from her stun, Chifuyu stood up before she rolled over from being stabbed by Shen's tail. Chifuyu attempted to parry, but Shen was too fast for her, and jabbed her in the stomach with poison. Her tail pierced through her armor like paper, sending Chifuyu in excruciating pain.

"AAAAHHHH!" Chifuyu yelled in pain, trying to shake off Shen's tail injecting her poison.

Chifuyu hacked the tail away as the poison coursed through her body, burning like gasoline on fire. Luckily, the poison was modified to not kill thanks to Squall that did some adjustments to upgrade Dread Gauntlet.

The Brunhilde stumbled, feeling sluggish from the poison before she parried Shen's tekko-kagi. The scorpion stood on her ground, defending Chifuyu's strikes while she swiped away and leaped back for room. Chifuyu won't let her get away by charging towards her with a side cut. Shen leaned back and swung her iron claws as Chifuyu evaded.

Despite the poison coursing through her body with intense pain that affected her agility, Chifuyu jumped over Shen, which the latter went for an overhead slash. Somehow, Chifuyu blocked the killing blow without looking back as if she had additional eyes.

"Is that all you got?" said Chifuyu, swiping away as she locked blades at Shen.

Small sparks emitted from the metal while they tried to overpower each other. Chifuyu repelled, followed by a riposte at Shen's body. The force made the scorpion reeled, though it more so annoyed Shen than getting injured.

Chifuyu clutched her katanas tighter to ward off the poison while her legs were shaking. Shen smirked and taunted the Brunhilde by extending her hands out to come at her.

The Brunhilde gritted her teeth. "You'll regret this for fighting me in the first place, Shen."

Chifuyu launched with her katanas before the bodyguard clapped both hands forward, forcing Chifuyu to slide on her back. Shen turned around to impale with her tail as Chifuyu deflected the incoming strike.

Shen conjured her dual railguns and fired that shook the hallway. Chifuyu does her best to get away from the railguns, but she was ambushed by Shen again, and kicked towards another wall. Shen charged in as the two clashed blades.

They both pass by each other, missing their strikes before Shen burrowed again. This irritated Chifuyu even more as Shen played too many games to wear her off. Using her kendo senses, Chifuyu took a deep breath to anticipate another ambush.

Minutes passed by, there was still no sign of Shen. The scorpion took her time to create more tunnels to give her advantage of ambush. Even though Shen did not come back to the surface, that does not mean Chifuyu can take a quick break while she advanced upstairs.

"There!" said Chifuyu, striking Shen at the right moment she popped out to impale with her tail.

The Brunhilde deflected the tail, executing a double jump side kick to her face, staggering the bodyguard temporarily.

"…" Shen slammed her fist against the wall.

Shen went to her tunnels to confuse Chifuyu again, forcing the Brunhilde on guard. Every time Shen ambushed Chifuyu, the latter fought back, only to find out she's at a disadvantage. No matter where she went, Shen always appeared and attack without warning.

Shen used her immense strength to rip a concrete wall, hurling it at the Brunhilde like a frisbee. Chifuyu charged, slicing it apart, only to be met by the railguns pointing at her forehead. She deflected the projectile, but Shen deliberately did so to drop her guard, and Chifuyu was caught by the scorpion's tail. Shen flung her up, crashing through walls she followed suite, and executed scorpion strikes before flinging her down to the ground.

Dazed and bruised from the violent blow, Chifuyu spat out a chunk of blood from her mouth. She was covered in myriads of injuries and dust as she coughed. Chifuyu briefly stared at Shen that had a few scratches while the former was badly injured.

Shen gave her thumbs down, provoking Chifuyu that she is weak and the fight was a kid's game. That irked the Brunhilde as Shen also gave an insulting taunt of how rustic the world's first IS pilot had become.

The bodyguard fired her gatling guns as Chifuyu stumbled away. But she tripped, reducing her to army crawl, and depended only on debris for cover, narrowly dodging the bullets as Shen fired relentlessly. Once she found cover, Shen fired relentlessly, making the Brunhilde powerless and out of hope. Luckily, Chifuyu found one of Shen's tunnels, and crawled through.

"Are you there, Chifuyu-nee? Chifuyu-nee, please respond!" Ichika via private channel before he heard static, not knowing that Chifuyu cut him off deliberately.

 _Sorry, Ichika. But I may not walk out of this one alive,_ Chifuyu thought.

The moment Shen stopped firing Chifuyu closed her eyes to concentrate for one minute. To die alone in a dilapidated apartment was the worst way to come to an end. With the plan set, Chifuyu crawled through the tunnels, and saw Shen advancing downstairs. The scorpion anticipated Chifuyu's overhead slash as the Brunhilde took her katana, and stabbed behind her.

Unfortunately, Chifuyu mistimed it in that while she got Shen, the scorpion countered with a backwards stab when the blade went through her body first. Shen did not even stagger, but it made her slower as she tried to strike Chifuyu with her tail. But the Brunhilde was not going to fall for that trick ever again.

Chifuyu charged towards Shen and…

 **CRUNCH**

The sound of metal and flesh filled the ruined apartment. Chifuyu impaled Shen's heart with her last katana. She pushed the blade further into Shen, blood spilling out of the scorpion's mouth.

"!" Shen in disbelief, staring at Chifuyu's fatal blow.

Without a word, Chifuyu ripped out Shen's heart with her katana before she threw it aside that deflated slowly. The feared bodyguard was finally put to an end, and Shen fell down with a big thud in a pool of blood.

"That was for my friends…" Chifuyu muttered to the deceased Shen.

Chifuyu removed the impaled blade on her body as she tried to stumble away. However, she collapsed due to the wounds inflicted and the poison. Not before she activated a locator beacon and turned on her private channel.

Ichika did his best to hold off Lion pilots attacking ferociously. The foes were strong that copied the personal IS special abilities as if they were fighting their counterparts. The blue boy received connections from his private channel to Chifuyu.

"Chifuyu-nee! Where are you?" said Ichika, trading blows at Seryu.

Chifuyu smiled. "Where do you think? Follow the beacon. It should beep faster as you get closer..."

With that, the Brunhilde passed out paralyzed and bleeding as law enforcement and paramedics track down her beacon. Time was running out as Chifuyu heard sirens wailing outside, hoping she will make it back alive to see Ichika and the gang. To die by Shen is something Chifuyu will not put up at all. The Brunhilde may have slayed Shen to avenge her deceased comrades, but the shootout was far from over.

* * *

The conflict was growing out of control with Phantom Task soldiers getting more dangerous while cops and police tactical units do their best to fight back. Lion pilots matched move for move at Ichika and the girls with Ichika holding off Seryu. The blue boy executed an overhead slash with his Yukihara at Seryu, and threw her to the ground, temporarily knocking her out.

"On me!" Ichika rallied. "We're going to find Chifuyu. She's in serious danger from her fight."

Houki fended off Gate and Behemoth. "We can't leave in the middle of our battle, Ichika!"

"My older sister is someone I cannot leave behind," said Ichika.

"Wait, Ichika!" Cecilia protested, trading blows at Behemoth. "Just because you took out a Lion pilot doesn't mean you can run off where you want. They are bound to come back and hunt us down."

Ichika did not listen as he was fixated on rescuing Chifuyu. "Hang in there, Chifuyu-nee…"

The blue boy took off in the opposite direction, tracking down the beacon locator as Houki and Cecilia give chase to Ichika. They cannot afford to let Ichika run on his own before Houki fired her Thousands Piercing at Behemoth. The leader blocked the projectiles while Laura continued giving support fire to slow down Behemoth.

Things were not going so well for Mattheus, Tatenashi, and the girls that were pushed back by Lion reinforcements. To think they can catch a breath for one second, Lion pilots appear in all directions. Rin and Liu worked together to fight back while they gave the others a helping hand to repel Lion pilots.

"How many of those big cats are we dealing?" Joel questioned, assisting Mattheus.

"Unknown numbers until we are mauled completely," said Mattheus, firing his weapons. "Keep your heads intact!"

The Flemish boy avoided the Lion's vicious attacks while Tatenashi hack and slash two Lion pilots. While Rin was about to execute her finishing blow, Kaori sideswiped her from the right side, separating the tiger from the group.

"Oh no you don't!" Liu exclaimed, firing his Venom Slug at Kaori.

"Piss off, will you?" Kaori scowled, firing burst stream of fire at Liu.

The dragon tried to strike back, but he was tackled by another Lion pilot to keep him busy. While the others were tangled up, Kaori fired her gatling guns at Rin, pelting away her energy shields. Rin blasted her Ryuhou that made a direct hit at Kaori before the Phoenix revealed her Vortex blades with flames revolving.

Kaori let out a sadistic grin. "Do you miss me, Rin? I'm sure you do love the way I can burn you in many ways…"

"You make me sick every time I see your ugly mug," Rin growled, charging her Ryuhou. "This ends right now!"

The two charged at one another and clash blades. Rin saw Kaori's eyes fueled by Titan –M5 as the force of their frenzied attacks pushed them back with fire growing more around Kaori. The Phoenix and tiger went at it so fast that one could not see it by the blink of an eye.

On the other hand, Liu knocked out his foe with a few moves from his Heavenly Emperor as he went back up to support Tatenashi and the others. Their foes did not cease to surrender, giving them a harder time to push back.

During the heated battle, Liu saw his adversary on the ground. "You…"

Liu fired his Venom Slug at Three Dragons, but the latter avoided the onslaught easily as he partial deployed Oblivion, and fired. Liu barely avoided from being shot by the light blue projectile.

Three Dragons gestured. "Come on!"

"Not this time," said Liu, shooting his Venom Slug at Three Dragons.

Three Dragons leaped gracefully away from Liu thanks to Titan –M5 still inside of him that granted superhuman strength equivalent to an IS pilot. Three Dragons fired up Kaori's Lamborghini for a cat and mouse chase that took off at lightning speed. Liu chased down his hated adversary, throwing out the plans and tactics the gang went over as his mind was set on killing Three Dragons.


	30. Hello Again

**Time: 6:37PM – Underworld**

"I'm going to kill you!" said Liu to Three Dragons via private channel.

Three Dragons aimed his Oblivion at Liu. "Surprise!"

The dragon went too close because he did not have time to dodge, and Three Dragons shot him directly in the shoulder. Liu skidded across the pavement like a ragged doll as Three Dragons was getting away fast. Liu's energy shield was damaged in half, angering him more.

"You're fucked, Liu!" Three Dragons said. "Almost as bad as you fucked yourself up claiming Nightmare."

Liu got up only to be met by a few Phantom Task soldiers shooting him with anti IS firearms. Liu got pelted by small resistance before he took to the sky. Liu has no time for small fries, knowing that they were served to slow him down away from Three Dragons. Up in the air, Liu has lost sight of Three Dragons, much to the dragon's confusion.

Just as Liu found the yellow Lamborghini dodging traffic, he received an error message that AA guns fired its heat seeker missiles coming towards him. Apparently, Liu completely forgot it due to his mind being fixated on killing Three Dragons. 10 missiles chased down Liu to no end, forcing him to take evasive actions through a series of barrel rolls, twists, and shooting back.

One by one, the missiles exploded before Liu sliced the remaining rocket. Liu dove down the surface, firing his Venom Slug fully automatic towards Three Dragons. The foe did not break a sweat, evading barrage of projectiles before he made a sweeping left turn. The berlinetta screeched from its tires against the pavement as Three Dragons blew past slow traffic at lightning speed.

"What's wrong, Liu?" asked Three Dragons. "I thought you were better than this. Why are you being rusty, huh?"

"This is the beginning of an end for you," said Liu, gritting his teeth.

"We'll see about that if you can catch up…"

Liu was in hot pursuit of his prey blowing past between big rigs in hopes to shake off the dragon. Liu was not fooled by Three Dragon's simple tricks as they trade fire. Despite going over 119 mph, Three Dragons kept steady behind the wheel, firing his Oblivion simultaneously. Diving at low altitude, Liu burst fired his Venom Slug at Three Dragons, forcing the latter to increase his speed over 127 mph. At this kind of speed, it's suicidal to drive congested streets, but Three Dragons was not concerned. Taking riskier maneuvers, Three Dragons blew pass red light intersections, nearly getting himself t-boned.

Liu said, "You can't hide forever for what you did to Righteousness Union."

"You better watch what you wish for, boy."

Three Dragons got gutsy playing chicken to go head on against a tanker truck. Three Dragons provoked Liu to shoot a flammable tanker, hoping to get himself torched. The tanker honked its horn at Three Dragons, but he was beyond listening as he put the pedal to the metal.

Three Dragons smirked. "That's it…I dare you to pull the trigger."

The dragon pulled to the right, avoiding the tanker by one inch. It appeared his dreams came to fruition when Liu shot the combustible cargo. However, Liu deployed Heavenly Emperor, slicing the tank away from the truck. With the tank hurling towards Three Dragons, Liu shot the petroleum projectile, exploding it in a mess of smoke and fireball.

Three Dragons' eyes shot in disbelief. "What the-?!"

The shockwave pushed Three Dragons off balance, nearly wiping out before he quickly regained control. Fire obscured his vision against the window and hood, but it subsided as he returned fire to one another. Three Dragons glued his foot to the gas pedal, not slowing down for one second.

"Huang Lingyin must have tucked you in bed really good," said Three Dragons.

"How many dicks did you suck to hire crooked cops to protect you?" Liu retorted, throwing a metal beam that almost wiped out Three Dragons.

"Word on the town is she is a trick, and you think she is faithful to you!"

Three Dragons hurled cruel insults to Liu and his girlfriend, but Liu kept cool to not let words get the best of him. Liu went for an overhead slash as Three Dragons pulled a 180 degree drift on a narrow road. The dragon took too many risks to shake off Liu, but he was not showing signs of fear. In fact, Three Dragons was actually enjoying the thrill, and watching Liu crash would make him even happier.

"Give it up, you fuck! You're wasting your time killing me when I can just end you right now!"

"You never learn to shut up," said Liu. He had enough of Three Dragons' prideful, arrogant insults. "Your pride and arrogance are the reason you're bound to fall."

Three Dragons weaved in and out of traffic with Liu still behind his tail before they went to the highway at breakneck speed of 160 mph. Three Dragons thought straightway would give him an advantage of speed, but little did he know that this was Liu's biggest strength.

"!" Three Dragons checked his rear view mirror that Liu was not in his sight. He was not taking any chances to slow down as the dragon increased the pace up to 186 mph down the tunnel. Fearing that Liu might ambush him, Three Dragons cocked his Oblivion, gunning at 203 mph.

Turns out that Liu flew over the tunnel to intercept Three Dragons, and this was the perfect opportunity to end the cat and mouse chase.

"Got you now, you son of a bitch…" said Liu, charging at Three Dragons.

Liu fired his Venom Slug, and Three Dragons returned fire, missing their shots. Liu kept steady of his sight, controlling the recoil until he successfully shot it down. The Lamborghini spun out of control, but Three Dragons shot Liu in return.

They attempted to prevent from crashing, but to no avail. Three Dragons crashed into a protective wall at a violent tailspin, and Liu skidded against the pavement and crashed into a truck. The accident was gruesome with scrap metal and shattered glass littered on the highway. Liu coughed from the dust, struggling to squeeze the trigger on his weapon at the mangled Lamborghini. But he ran out of ammo, much to his disbelief. To make things worse, his energy shield was insufficient to deploy Nightmare, and he can only partial deploy.

"...You got to be kidding me..." Liu muttered, slamming his fist on the ground.

Three Dragons hobbled away from the burning wreckage, trying to load his Oblivion. However, the cannon had to recharge, and Three Dragons growled in anger that it prevented him to kill Liu immediately.

"I understand what Uncle Yuen saw in you," said Three Dragons. "I should have noticed it sooner. You were just a punk. And yet now…you've nearly become a dragon."

Liu remained indifferent. "Spare me the poetry. If you wanted my IS so bad, you should have killed me long time ago."

"People have needs. Once they attained power and money, glory is the last thing they seek. Call it…a legacy. I seek one thing of taking back what's mine."

"You went to war against me, dragging Righteousness Union for something that trivial? Give it a rest already! Nightmare was never intended for you."

"For such a trivial thing, some would give their lives for it. Anyone who takes the high road in a world that answers diligence with indifference is a fool. So I found a new world, one where power is everything. A place I could author my own fate. I spent my life earning money. Whatever anyone needed, I got it for them. Yet, they look me down. In the end, one thing brings Triad to a heel is a title that that commands Triad secrets."

"Righteousness Union was slaved under a shithead like you using power to abuse the weak. Making the family to be in a civil war was the worst. You never stick to the 36 oaths you swore!"

"I know that!" Three Dragons growled. "Don't forget you were part of this too! I don't have the means to stand apart, myself. If I can't reach the top of the heap without your title…I'll mint it myself."

Three Dragons clenched his left fist as fire slowly evaporated from the wreckage. Liu was unfazed by the collateral damage he caused. The dragons knew only one will leave this alive.

Liu said, "Any title a man draws up for himself isn't worth wearing. Titles and glory follow on their own."

"Say what you will, Liu. Diligence is my version of effort."

"Turning your back on Righteousness Union to start your own family is your diligence? Killing your own brothers and sisters that opposed you? If you're so desperate to draft yourself a title, write it in your own blood, not others!"

"And you?" said Three Dragons, shaking his head. "Did you become Triad for protection, fame, or wealth? These factors drive people crazy, susceptible to the world. It takes serious discipline to not change. The underworld is not the paragon you think it is. Finding Infinite Stratos in coincidence was an internal family matter to start. Who's the one who dragged people in to die? At the end, it was us, cutting each other's throats behind Uncle Yuen's back."

"What are you trying to say?"

"This is between me and you we're talking about. You didn't think that Righteousness Union would be in grave danger? Whose blood tipped the brush for the script? Righteousness Union was used as sacrificial pawns hence I had to betray them for a better family. We write in other people's blood, that's the Triad way. Always have, always will, Liu. I aim to pen my title in your blood."

Three Dragons turned his back, removing the torn shirt to reveal his body tattoos. His back piece revealed a menacing dragon coated in painful, colorful ink surrounded by cloud, waves, wind bars.

"You're not the only one with a dragon motif, boy," said Three Dragons, exposing his front tattoos of birds, bamboo and leaves. "I'll kill you, take Nightmare for Kaori…and become the Dragon of Harmonious Association."

Liu kept his cold, stoic face. "You can keep the corny nickname. But…there can be only one dragon."

"Yes…I could not agree more."

"I'll give you your fight, and put an end to this war and you!"

The dragon removed his shirt to reveal his tattoos as the last thing Three Dragons will ever see. Talk was over, Liu and Three Dragons glared with pure hatred, clenching their fists, and charged.

"LIU!" Three Dragons roared.

* * *

Kaori and Rin traded blows furiously as another Lion pilot joined in the ring, covering fire. Rin fall back for cover, breathing out of control when she has to deal with two foes. The Lion pilot crept up to get a close up kill shot, unaware that Rin used the windows as a mirror to spot her first.

"Will you just fuck off already!?" Rin shouted, firing her Ryuhou at the Lion that knocked her out. The tiger fired at Kaori, dodging behind a building before she shot back rapidly. Rin flew towards a warehouse to find adequate cover while Kaori pursued her prey.

"Rin!" Kaori taunted, forming small fireball in her right hand. "Rin-rin, come out to play!"

Rin gritted her teeth in disgust at Kaori's nonchalant attitude. The moment Kaori took her time to reload, Rin tackled her and blocked Kaori's elbow hook. Rin slashed Kaori's right eye that dealt a serious blow as she dealt more blows to her face.

"You bitch!" Kaori cried in pain, parrying Rin's overhead slash.

The Phoenix blasted Rin with a burst stream of fire, sending her flying across the landscape. Rin was flung back like a ragged doll as she crashed against a store. Enraged at losing her right eye, Kaori charged her fire at higher temperature, burning everything at her path.

Rin slowly opened her eyes to see her surroundings in fire with Kaori getting closer to kill her. Kaori raised her Vortex for an execution blow, and Rin flew up just in time. The moment they locked blades, sparks fly in all directions, and Rin dealt a serious blow to Kaori's back that sent her hurling to the ground.

"Stay down!" said Rin, catching her breath.

Rin tried to collect her thoughts, only to be interrupted by the raging Phoenix with an overhead slash. The tiger delivered a horizontal slash, followed by a tackle. But, Kaori countered with a devastating headbutt that stunned Rin before she headbutt her twice.

Blood oozed from their forceful blows, but Kaori ignored the damages done, and threw her against the pavement. Rin tumbled violently as her landing stopped. Battered, bruised, and almost out of energy, Rin tried to get up, only to stumble backwards.

"AAAAHHHH!" Kaori yelled, clutching her bloodied head.

Kaori hovered towards the grounded tiger, slowly charging Vortex. Seeing the blades rotating like a chainsaw covered in fire, Rin slashed her legs and face. The tiger lost her balance again, feeling drained out from the brutal fight.

Rin and Kaori struggled to get back on their feet that made them extremely sluggish. Rin grabbed her remaining Souten Gagetsu while Kaori ripped one of her Vortex blades into a makeshift machete. Clutching their respective last stand weapons, they took it to the sky for the final round. Kaori ignited her blade with fire to spiral slash. Rin countered with a side thrust, piercing Kaori's right arm.

Not wanting to lose, Kaori locked Rin in a rear naked choke, squeezing her throat with the remains of her strength.

"Take this, bitch!" Kaori growled, choking Rin.

Blood from Kaori's wounded right arm went through Rin, acting like a lubricant to break free. Rin stabbed Kaori in the stomach, causing her to scream in pain.

Rin stared at the wounded Phoenix. "Am I your bitch now…Kaori?"

The tiger charged her Ryuhou, and shot Kaori point-blank, hurling to the ground. Rin saw Kaori one last time to confirm she was grounded, permanently with blood oozing from her head. The tiger fell to the ground, hoping that Liu will stick true to his words to come back alive.

* * *

 **At the highway…**

Three Dragons and Liu partial deployed their IS, staring with intense concentration that filled the highway. Cars drove pass the confrontation to get away from the fight about to explode. The boys anticipated each other's moves, throwing jabs and blocking every few seconds. Liu played it safe, knowing that his life was on the line to kill Three Dragons first before he does.

Three Dragons clenched his left fist against his rib cage to execute a lunge punch. Liu sidestepped in the nick of time, nearly getting hurled ten feet from the powerful blow.

"Nice dodge!" said Three Dragons.

 _What's wrong with him?_

"Show me what you got, Liu."

Three Dragons threw a jab and cross combo while Liu deflected. Three Dragons threw a right hook, but Liu countered with a gazelle punch at his chin, stunning him. Liu delivered a left hook as Three Dragons attempted a straight punch. Liu counterpunch to his solar plexus and chin, knocking him to the ground.

Liu did not drop his guard. "Come on, Three Dragons. You're better than this."

The opposing dragon got to his feet before Liu threw a left straight. However, Three Dragons caught his punch, smirking at Liu's disbelief expression before he twisted his hand upside down.

"Have a taste of the dragon claw!" Three Dragons exclaimed, swiping Liu vertically which made him roll over behind him.

"You're doing well…" said Three Dragons. "But it's not enough to keep up with this!"

Three Dragons threw a backhand as Liu ducked. Three Dragons found an opening to Liu's right hand, and locked him before he twisted in the opposite direction. Getting full control again, Three Dragons bent Liu's right hand with excruciating pain.

Three Dragons smirked, showing superior strength due to Titan –M5 coursing in his body while Liu squirmed to break free. Liu retaliated with his backhand that stunned Three Dragons.

The dragons hurled barrage of punches and kicks to no end, showing impressive fighting techniques. Three Dragons kicked Liu against a parked car that shook the occupants inside. The occupants ran away when Three Dragons dented the hood with brute force. Liu punched Three Dragons that staggered him with blood dripping to his lower lip.

"Don't underestimate me," Three Dragons muttered. "Bring everything you've got!"

Liu and Three Dragons engaged in a violent slugfest, throwing out defense in exchange for an all-out attack. Liu initially had the advantage, but Three Dragons punched Liu that left him dazed.

"What's wrong, Liu?" said Three Dragons, executing a right hook.

Liu growled in defiance. "You bastard!"

The punch did not fully connect when Liu literally used his cheek to parry. Liu countered with a right hook, knocking him to the ground the second time. Three Dragons grew frustrated, not being able to knock Liu off his feet as he tackled him to the ground.

Fueled by hate, the dragons fought without stopping for once. Soon enough, they grappled to deliberately throw against oncoming traffic to end the grudge match quickly. It proved to be an impossible task when both sides showed resistance.

"Take this!" said Three Dragons, kneeing Liu that made him stumbled to the bridge pillar. Liu evaded the finishing blow that left a giant dent. Liu could not believe that Three Dragons showed no signs of wearing out. Despite the powerful blows Liu landed, Three Dragons was still standing like it was nothing.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Liu said, gritting his teeth. "Why won't you die?!"

Three Dragons chuckled, clenching his left fist to reveal his veins glowing light blue. "Titan –M5, boy, the same stuff you stole when I dispatched Kaori. Squall and I modified it to make it compatible for me without showing side effects. You can't match my moves."

Liu kicked Three Dragons, only to be clawed across the face. Liu winced in pain with blood dripping from the scratch marks.

"What did I just say?" said Three Dragons, clawing Liu's right arm. "You can't beat me!"

Liu tried to break free from the restraint, but he received a side whip kick to the face, knocking to the ground. The nemesis folded his arms to relax, watching his opponent slowly recovering. However, Three Dragons did not notice that Liu feinted to claw his right thigh.

"You know, Liu," Three Dragons goaded. "You have a nice girlfriend. I'll show her a better time than you once you're finished. Get her hooked up on Titan –M5, and she will be a money maker for my society. Rin is going to be my sex toy, and I'm generous enough to share it to my men and women."

Three Dragons bragged about how he will use Rin sexually, but he took it too far, infuriating Liu even more.

Liu roared in anger. "You…SICK FUCK!"

Three Dragons was so focused on taunting Liu that he did not notice Liu clawing his right thigh.

"AAAHHH!" Three Dragons yelled, trying to ward off the claw sinking through his skin.

Liu clawed his back in one swift motion before they trade blows with their dragon claws.

Liu slashed his back before they viciously claw each other. Liu's desire to kill Three Dragons raised sky high, throwing aggressive attacks like an actual dragon. Three Dragons locked his arm again, but Liu was not falling for it again, retaliating with a reverse roundhouse kick.

Three Dragons shook off the attack as Liu growled, feeling the wrath to maul him to shreds. Three Dragons showed off his dragons claws in a circular motion to intimidate Liu. However, he was not fooled by a second rate Triad.

Three Dragons tried to kick Liu, but the latter grabbed his leg, and hurled him across the pavement. Three Dragons tumbled like a ragged doll, nearly ran over by a dump truck. The driver made an abrupt stop that dropped loads of steel I-beam. Freaked out by the dragons' appearances, the driver sped away, ignoring the load he carried.

The dragons backed off from being creamed by the payload, making Three Dragons run away at superhuman speed. Liu grabbed one nearby, and chased after his foe.

"Oh no you don't!" Liu shouted, sprinting at his prey.

Three Dragons ran as fast as he could, but Liu was getting closer. Despite the drug giving him superhuman power, nothing beats willpower and spirit. Liu slammed it to Three Dragons, which he swiped it away that knocked off Liu.

They went at it again, only to be interrupted by an oncoming bus, forcing them to the side. The dragons fought for control over the I-beam before Liu hook punched Three Dragons consecutively, and kicked him. Three Dragons attempted to strike back, but Liu grabbed him, and they plummeted to the ground 18 feet.

The I-beam also fell when the dragons were on their knees, catching their breath. Liu recollected his thoughts to cool himself down while Three Dragons slammed his fist to the ground.

"Not bad at all…" Three Dragons muttered, wiping blood from his lips. "Die, Liu!"

Three Dragons charged at Liu, grabbing the I-beam to slam Liu's head. The dragon rolled over before Three Dragons swung ferociously like a barbarian, roaring to show off his strength of Titan –M5. Liu gritted his teeth in annoyance that he cannot fight Three Dragons the moment he used his I-beam as a staff. Leaving no other choice, Liu retreated to recover briefly and strategize.

Liu leaped over a truck, nearly losing his balance while Three Dragons followed suit, clearly enjoying the game. Liu recovered momentarily before Three Dragons swung his I-beam with precision and unbelievable speed. The dragon deployed Heavenly Emperor, parrying every strike Three Dragons hurled.

Three Dragons spun his brute weapon around his body, trying to land a direct hit at his target. Liu tried his best to negate his frenzy strikes, but it's no use. The dragons traded blow after blow as Three Dragons jabbed Liu in the stomach, stunning him in the process. Three Dragons delivered an overhead slash to end the fight, but Liu sliced his weapon in half.

Three Dragons was not deterred before he hurled his broken I-beam like a javelin. Liu ducked before Three Dragons charged towards him. However, a speeding van nearly ran over Three Dragons, forcing him to back off. The opposing dragon retreated with more cars moving nonstop as Liu catch his breath. They ignored the traffic honking at them to get off the road while Three Dragons casually stretched.

An 18 wheeler blocked them momentarily, giving Three Dragons an opportunity to ambush Liu. Just as the truck went away, Three Dragons fired his Oblivion.

"Take this!" Three Dragons shouted, firing Oblivion.

Liu narrowly avoided being shot before he responded by deploying Reaper, and returned fire. With Heavenly Emperor on his right hand, and Reaper on his left forearm, Liu pointed his fusion cannon to ward off Three Dragons.

Three Dragons tilted his head. "I deserved to claim Nightmare in the first place, not you. I earned that damn IS! Now everyone at Righteousness Union is going to bow down to me because you're dead once I erase your life, including Uncle Yuen!"

"This is why you are bound to fall from grace," said Liu. "And you won't be remembered as the late great one."

"I bet all the people will miss you once I'm done with you. I know Rin will. When she mourns for you, I'll be there to comfort her."

"Over my dead body, boy."

The moment Liu picked up on the word 'comfort', he fired Reaper at Three Dragons. They dodged every projectile, firing back with relentless firepower that slightly shook the road. Three Dragons fired nonstop to score a direct hit at his nemesis. No matter how hard they try, their shots miss all the time. Frustrated with Liu not getting hit, Three Dragons charged his Oblivion until the barrel glowed light blue.

Three Dragons appeared to fire, but he lunged towards Liu to get a close up kill shot.

Liu fired towards Oblivion to redirect Three Dragons' shot, staggering him before Liu rammed his head on the bridge pillar. The dragon swept his leg that sent him a back flip, and landed lying face up. The dragon kept his guard up to not get caught by Three Dragons' sneak attack.

By the time Three Dragons got up, he feinted with his right arm and then swung with a left. Liu grabbed his arms to throw it down violently to injure his forearms. Liu connected his right hook to grab Three Dragons from behind, and threw him over to the pavement. Three Dragons slowly got up to his feet, breathing abnormally.

"Come on, Three Dragons…" Liu muttered, walking towards him.

Before Liu can kick Three Dragons, he slashed Liu away before the latter received a left hook to the face. Liu stumbled and tried to throw a side kick, only for Three Dragons to execute a flying reverse round house kick, sending him flying across the road. Liu was dazed, his Reaper was almost out of ammo, and his partial IS armor was torn.

"It was fun while it lasted," said Three Dragons, charging Oblivion to full power. "Any last words you would like to say?"

"…" Liu remained silent.

"Die, Liu King-sang."

Just as Three Dragons pulled the trigger to execute Liu, the latter slashed Oblivion with his Heavenly Emperor, and swung a crescent moon slash that destroyed his cannon. Liu slashed Three Dragons, and kicked towards an approaching car. Liu went for another kick, but Three Dragons evaded the attack, and rammed Liu on the crumbled hood. Liu threw him over against the windshield, leaving a myriad of cracks.

"Take this, you scumbag!" cried Liu, kneeing Three Dragons to the face.

"I'm not losing to you!" Three Dragons retorted, slamming Liu on the roof.

"You son of a bitch!"

Liu tackled Three Dragons towards an oncoming semi truck that came to a stop. The impact left craters of dents as Three Dragons clipped parts of Liu's IS off, flinging him back against the car.

Three Dragons said, "I AM the Dragon of Harmonious Association!"

The dragons stood up and charge, parrying each other's vicious strikes as Three Dragons swiped Reaper away from Liu's forearm. In a spin, Liu slashed Three Dragons before their blades locked, grinding sparks. Liu tried to overpower Three Dragons, but he threw a front kick to his face, stunning the dragon. Three Dragons attempted to stab Liu, only to receive a punch to the chest by Liu. The dragon executed a one-two punch as he tried to clap his hands to Three Dragons' ears.

Unfortunately, Three Dragons got the upper hand the moment Liu left his arms open, and palm strike his chin mid air. Liu became disoriented from the forceful blow to his chin before Three Dragons clawed his face front and backhand. Leaving bloody claw marks on his cheeks, Three Dragons clawed him the third time to the ground.

Liu staggered away from Three Dragons approaching him while he set his eyes to stab him for good. Just as Three Dragons went for an overhead slash, Liu ripped a semi truck door, turned around, and smacked his face with brutal force.

"GAAAHH!?" Three Dragons was astounded, spitting chunk of saliva and blood from his mouth.

Three Dragons lost his balance as Liu smashed him again, shattering the window into pieces. Using as a shield, Liu went defense while Three Dragons swung recklessly to break it apart. Three Dragons pried Liu's shield from his hands, but this was Liu's least of his worries.

Three Dragons grappled Liu for control, but the dragon denied him by applying a front facelock to leg sweep before falling backwards to drive Three Dragons' back first down to the door. Three Dragons laid on his back in more pain when he landed on a jagged piece of metal.

Three Dragons slammed his fist in anger that he was slowly losing to Liu. "This is not over yet, Liu."

Liu and Three Dragons sprinted at full speed with their weapons, inadvertently disarming themselves in the process. Gritting their teeth, Three Dragons threw an uppercut as Liu blocked with his elbow, ultimately fractured Three Dragons' fingers. Liu rotated his right arm, giving it more power to throw a corkscrew blow to the face, spiraling Three Dragons alongside the road like a ragged doll.

"Ugh…!" Liu coughed blood, stumbling across the landscape.

Three Dragons slowly got up, glaring at Liu to intimidate him. Liu was not affected by a mean mug as he kicked him to the bridge pillar. Three Dragons was too stunned to counter before Liu punched him twice, and kneed him to the stomach. Three Dragons snapped back, parrying Liu's punch before he grabbed it. Liu and Three Dragons glared, trying to overpower each other as Three Dragons roared, throwing a right hook.

Liu countered with a headbutt before he did it two more times, and punched him. Three Dragons blocked the finishing blow, again as they were locked in a stalemate. Liu threw a backhand to stun Three Dragons, and the dragon headbutt him with bigger blunt trauma. Even though his head oozed blood from the repeated forceful thrusts, Liu ignored it, punching Three Dragons twice.

Three Dragons kicked Liu to break free, going for their final attack once and for all.

"LIU!" Three Dragons roared.

"THREE DRAGONS!" Liu yelled, charging with their fists.

Ultimately, Liu came on top, and knocked Three Dragons to the ground, permanently.

"Dragon of Harmonious Association…" Three Dragons muttered, spitting blood.

Liu stared at Three Dragons lying on his back, completely defeated covered in bruises and cuts as he could not believe that he lost. Out of energy to fight back, Three Dragons remained motionless.

Three Dragons shook his head. "There's just one thing…I learned from Righteousness Union. A triad who can hold on…has not lost yet."

The dragon kneeled, chuckling. "You…Liu…and the gang from IS Academy…I'll kill you all…"

Liu had enough of Three Dragons being conceited, even when he lost the grudge match. The thoughts of seeing his arrogant smile has pushed Liu's patience to an end. Cross veins popped from his temple, and Liu kicked him to the ground. Even when Three Dragons moved his head, Liu kicked him again even stronger.

Liu kneeled against Three Dragons to take one last look at his nemesis. Liu, in his anger savagely beats up Three Dragons. Each punch grew stronger when Liu had a flashback of Chifuyu, Rin, Righteousness Union civil war, and their rivalry. His knuckles were bruised, covered in blood before Three Dragons, badly injured had last words to say.

"Is that all?" Three Dragons questioned. "Do it…Kill me, Liu. Follow in…your nature…and become a true…triad!"

Three Dragons pulled his last trick up his sleeves to make Liu a monster by making him to take his life. Three Dragons does not realize that Liu was no longer the man he was in the past. Instead, he awakened Liu's strength to a whole new level. Liu build up his anger towards Three Dragons, gritting his teeth as he clenched his left fist. Liu had to end Three Dragons, permanently to mark the end of their bitter rivalry. There was no room for peaceful solutions between dragons.

Liu directed all his energy to his left fist, ready to deliver the killing blow to Three Dragons.

"FUCK YOU!" Liu yelled in righteous anger, executing the final blow to Three Dragons so hard that the back of his head created a crater, killing him instantly from repeated blunt trauma.

The battle was finally over. Liu has emerged victorious, staring at his deceased dragon covered in blood. Liu walked away, ignoring the injuries he sustained as emergency personnel and traffic blew past him. Liu can only think of seeing Rin, hoping she was in one piece. Unbeknownst to Liu, Rin also thought the same thing. After walking for five minutes, Liu returned to downtown, where he saw the gang still standing. Their injuries were minor to moderate, but nothing too serious asides bruises and cuts.

Liu saw the aftermath of the underworld conflict, witnessing the streets lot more dirty riddled with bullet holes, littered with trash, and cops, medics securing the scene. Over 250 Phantom Task members and Three Dragons' followers were arrested. 25 deceased and 82 injured from crooks, civilian, and officers alike.

Officers searched for the top agents and ringleader of Phantom Task, but they were missing. Shen, Kaori, and Three Dragons were confirmed dead the moment they were wrapped in body bags. Liu was finally relieved that the conflict has put to an end. The gang nodded in approval at Liu for a job well done before he was escorted by medics to an ambulance.

Liu saw Chifuyu inside the ambulance wrapped in bandages and a cast on her right arm. The Brunhilde suffered the worst injuries she sustained from Shen while she was administered medicine to alleviate the pain.

"Orimura-sensei, I-"

Chifuyu turned fast, startled to find him there.

"Hey. Easy there, Liu. I can take care of him."

"Yes, Chifuyu," said the officer, guarding Chifuyu before he left.

Liu said, "Yeah. You look more terrible than before. Did you slay Shen this time?"

Chifuyu tried to smile him off, then gave up, turning away. She tipped her head up to the roof in an _Oh, God_ type of gesture, then resumed remaining stoic, as though he weren't there.

"Are you okay?" said Liu, though it came sounding wrong.

Chifuyu turned her head in profile, blinking, waiting for serenity. Then she turned all the way, glaring, her quick, harsh look imploring him, _Stop asking me that question_.

"Shen is finished for good," said Chifuyu. "Take it from me, Liu. Whatever you heard that I died, it won't matter. The only voice they hear is me still alive. You did what you came here to do, alright?"

Liu grasped his hand. "I defeated Three Dragons," he said in a relieved tone.

"Good, now rest up. You will need it for a while."

Liu only wanted to see Rin, but she has yet to show up, making him anxious and worried. The moment Liu and Chifuyu dozed off, he heard familiar footsteps, which was Rin battered from her fight. She had moderate injuries like Chifuyu, but it was not too severe. Rin could not contain her smile, and she hugged Liu tightly. The dragon hugged back in response rubbing her soft brown hair he liked the most. He was glad that Rin made it out as promised while Chifuyu nodded her head for a job well done.

* * *

 **Two months later**

At Café Cruise, Liu encountered Chifuyu, again, drinking a cup of coffee in broad daylight. The good news was Brunhilde made a speedy recovery. However, she was wrapped in bandages on her upper body, band aid on her right cheek with bruises on her forehead, and a cane on her left hand. Liu sat down to settle things with Chifuyu.

"Chifuyu," said Liu, ignoring the formality.

"That's Orimura-sensei to you," Chifuyu corrected Liu. "What brings you here?"

"I just wanted to say thanks."

"For what? It's me who should be…"

"For helping me cut loose ends. Do something I could feel good about. Hell, for helping me stay sane from the bullshit we went through."

"My pleasure. So, what are you going to do now?"

"I don't know to be honest. The adventure is over, but I don't have anywhere else to go. Strange to say it after all that's happened, but Japan kind of feels like home."

Liu left Café Cruise while Chifuyu sipped her coffee. "Yeah, but which Japan…Liu King-sang…"

Sitting behind Chifuyu was Ichika and Charlotte being suspicious.

"And what about Liu?" Charlotte questioned. "Why didn't you tell us before that he is a Righteousness Union the entire time?"

"He proved himself to be helpful to me and the Academy, one way or the other. And isn't that what really matters? Don't worry too much about it."

Chifuyu told the gang everything about Liu's identity after the underworld conflict. Ichika and Charlotte understood to not make a pointless argument with Chifuyu. Liu was finally free from the underworld drama with order restored. All he can do is look forward to enjoy life to the fullest.

* * *

 **Time: 10:03AM - Academy Rooftop**

The gang enjoyed a day of relaxation on a clear blue sky with the sun shining bright. Ichika was in a good mood, holding dozens of lunch boxes wrapped in fancy bags.

"Thanks for packed lunches the other day!" Ichika handed the gang lunch boxes. "So, in return, I made something for all of you today!"

Ichika went to the English girl. "For Cecilia, Beef wellington with a side of potato wedges. I think it'll suit your tastes, so this is what I thought of."

Cecilia covered her mouth as if she was surprised. "Ichika-san, this…lacks a bit of failures, very well then."

"Okay…I just don't get you."

"For Mattheus and Joel, I made Carbonade flamande. Hope you guys like it."

The Flemish man and his partner took a bite before they ate more.

"Ichika invested his time wisely to learn various cuisine styles to improve his culinary skills," Mattheus quipped.

"It's good to be open minded and learn a thing or two about new subjects," said Joel.

Ichika checked them out with a smile. "I did what I can do to repay you guys."

He started to feel good, despite himself. "For Rin and Liu, of course, Chinese cuisine!"

The couple was not impressed at the blue boy. "What's with the 'Of course' part?"

"Well," he said. "I wanted to make it special for us."

"It's not the only thing we eat, you know?" said Liu.

Rin and Liu shared an assortment of Peking duck with veggies and rice. They nodded their heads in approval at Ichika.

Liu said, "Mmm…t-this is…well done. You could open up a restaurant of your own."

"Thanks, but I don't have such plans at the moment-"

"What can't you just be thankful!" Rin pouted as Liu chuckled, petting his beloved tiger.

Next, Ichika presented Houki a traditional bento box, and the fox was amazed at the neat presentation.

"I-Ichika…anybody who could be your wife would be really happy…"

"Hmm? What's with that all of sudden?"

Houki fidgeted her fingers. "It's just that…I always put my heart in making things and…what if I don't feel well when a special occasion comes? I was thinking that if you were the one to make things for me, then that would make me really happy…"

"Okay! When your next birthday comes, Houki, I'll make another packed lunch just for you."

Houki dropped hints to show her feelings to Ichika that she likes him a lot. Unfortunately, the blue boy's head was still thick than a black hole. Dark clouds loomed over Houki's head that Ichika did not pick up her easy hint. Minutes later, Chifuyu and Maya arrived to sit next to Ichika as the younger brother gave her a large lunch box.

Chifuyu smirked at his hands, his face. "That's awfully big for a lunch box."

"I ended up making a lot so I left this with you."

Maya said, "Oh, is that what Orimura-kun made? What a loving wife that brother of yours. Is it a multi-national smorgas bord?"

Chifuyu opened her lunch that was a mixture of Chinese, Japanese, and Western food before she gave Maya the _What did you just say to me?_ expression. The gang basked under the beautiful weather, talking about their plans over the summer break. Rin and Liu smiled at each other as she kissed Liu on the head. The dragon returned the lovely kiss, placing his hands onto Rin's shoulder.

"I can take another name, and build a new life. But on the inside, I'll always have that instinct to accept what I am, whether I hate it or love it. Never giving up only gets you so far in this game, no matter how many times you get knocked down, remember that. You won't get another chance."

 **FIN**


End file.
